Khagen Roy

Khagen Roy’s (1907-1983) artistic idiom is quintessentially Indian, imbued with traditional aesthetics. Exhibiting an influence of the legendary Bengal school, Roy’s figures were rendered in the style of Indian classical art and sculptures. Employing a misty, hazy and dreamy palette, Roy’s painting style shows a distinct merger of indigenous traditions and  European academic realist convention.

Born in Bengal, Khagen Roy established a studio at Dharamtall Street in Kolkata. Roy belongs to a critical junction when Indian art was finding its balance between western traditions of art and the return to India’s indigenous folk roots pioneered by the likes of Abanindranath Tagore. Significantly, Roy experimented with the Fresco technique. 

Roy subjects were primarily driven by the spiritual aspect of India. Despite very few works being available, his ‘Chaitanya’ series portrays a saintly figure with a halo, surrounded by a number of devotees who have come to pay obeisance at his feet. The figure seems to be representing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which according to local folklore, is a 15th-century Indian saint. He was regarded as the combined avatar of Krishna and Radha. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is an indispensable part of the folk and spiritual culture of Bengal and his unique mode of worshipping Krishna contributed immensely to the development of Vaishnavism in the region. Roy in his ‘Chaitanya’ series retells the legend of devotion, piety and reverence.

Roy’s practice essentially denotes his expertise in anatomy and miniature-like composition. He was a member of the Art Rebel Centre, an artist-led group, which was founded in 1933.