Dhiraj Choudhury

Dhiraj Choudhury makes no bones about the fact that he is a politically and socially motivated artist. He says, “For me, art is not merely an exercise in aesthetics or technical expertise. That is the reason I have never felt the need to pursue ‘art for art’s sake’. The better part of my creative forces, therefore, has been utilized in portraying the ills of our society, and in doing so, the hungry, the deprived, the tortured, the wounded have invariably crept into my works. The pictures I paint may not be pretty, but they are an expression of my love for humanity and my genuine concern for the world at large. My art is not a pleasure trip. It is the battlefield of my 50-year struggle for freedom, which is still going on!” Born in 1936, in what is now Bangladesh, Dhiraj Choudhurylived through the freedom struggle, but doesn’t believe it is over. There are still promises waiting to be fulfilled and goals waiting to be reached. He also believes that everyday it is a struggle for an artist to rise above their low status.

He uses the images of man and woman, mother and child, clowns or natural images like flowers, foliage, animals, birds and butterflies. In 2001, Dhiraj was invited to Hertfordshire, UK to curate an exhibition and conduct art workshops on the theme ‘Love’. He is currently teaching at the Delhi College of Art, part of Delhi University.