Rabin Mondal

Rabin Mondal (1929-2019) was a legendary Indian artist who amalgamated primitive cubist-expressionist depictions, seeping into the malevolent urban jungle of his time. His paintings project a diabolical narrative of his subjects that conveys stark disjunction of destitution in society. Rendered through turmoil and grievance, Rabin’s figurations stand defiant being on the verge of shattering the spirit. 

Mondal graduated from the Indian College of Art and Draughtsmanship in Calcutta. He drew inspiration from the likes of Rabindranath Tagore and Jamini Roy. But his exposure to modern art happened through an exhibition held by French artists in Kolkata.  Having been a first-hand witness to the turbulence surrounding him since a young age, Rabin’s discord with injustice prompted him to create an unforgettable identity!

The partition of Bengal, the Great Famine of 1943, communal unrest, and overcrowded hometown, which was stricken with poverty, played a source of motivation in his paintings. Using his art as his voice, Mondal expressed the moral decay of human principles with bold pigmentation of colours like black and red. He rendered his paintings by employing acrylic, oil, watercolours, and ink to give exceptional representation in his masterpieces. 

The figurative artworks draw parallels to primaeval human existence stripped bear with ruthless survivalist tendencies. Mondal’s best works are a series contradictorily named Kings and Queens. He instils a paradox that depicts the bodies consumed with trepidation and delusion as opposed to their high status. The series consists of, King and his Assassin, King being appeased, Man acting as King, King making confession, to name a few. 

Mondal’s public collection can be found in The Birla Academy of Art and Culture, The National Gallery of Modern Art, Osians Art Archive, Indian, and the Jane and Kito de Boer Collection, Dubai.