Artist on Spotlight

Shyamal Dutta Ray stood out among Indian painters and printmakers for his mastery of watercolor, a medium he transformed through a deliberate departure from its traditional delicacy and spontaneity. Born in Ranchi on May 8, 1934, he trained at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, earning his diploma in painting in 1955. While his early work involved oils, Dutta Ray’s profound engagement with watercolor defined his mature practice.