Dhiraj Choudhary

Dhiraj Choudhary, born in 1936 in present-day Bangladesh, is a politically and socially motivated artist whose work spans five decades. He rejects the notion of "art for art’s sake," instead using his creative energy to address the deep societal issues that concern him. From the downtrodden and deprived to the wounded and tortured, Choudhary’s art is a powerful reflection of his love for humanity and his ongoing struggle for freedom.

In the 1960s, Choudhary focused on the plight of the oppressed, particularly the famine-stricken peasants of Bengal, the impoverished farmers, and the marginalized figures of Indian society. His pen and ink drawings from the 1970s and 1980s, often chilling in their intensity, captured the brutal realities of these conditions. Scenes of beggars fighting over food, and of the affluent devouring the poor, highlight his disillusionment with the promises of freedom that had not been fulfilled.

Choudhary's Banalata series in the 1990s, inspired by Jibanananda Das's famous poem Banalata Sen of Nattore, explored this disenchantment further. Yet, in 1999, he turned his focus to a more hopeful theme. Choudhary believes that Love, with all its complexities, can overcome the violence and greed prevalent in society. His later works, created using acrylic paints on canvas, are vibrant and communicative, depicting themes such as the relationship between man and woman, mother and child, as well as natural elements like flowers, animals, and butterflies. These works are marked by bold lines and vivid primary colors, which breathe life into the subjects.

Choudhary continues to teach at the Delhi College of Art and was invited to Hertfordshire, UK, in 2001 to curate an exhibition and conduct art workshops on the theme of Love. His art remains a call to action, aiming to raise social awareness and inspire positive change.