Dhiraj Choudhury

(1936 – 2018)
He was a politically and socially motivated artist and gained immense popularity for his artworks depicting social causes and womens rights. The only Indian Artist to have displayed alongside Salvador Dali and Joan Miro in the Swiss Bienelle in the late 60’s , his works can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in many other museums and in the homes of top collectors and corporates.

The shift in the theme of his paintings came towards the end of the nineties towards subjects like love, which according to him could eradicate greed and violence. He has explored the true meaning of the emotion of love in his paintings. “Art, I believe, can play an active role in creating social awareness and I would, in my own small way, try to light a candle in the darkness of ignorance and greed.” With that notion, he has tried to ignite the strong emotion of love. In this series, Choudhary`s subjects showcase women empowerment with the subject being Devi.