Somnath Hore

Somnath Hore was one of India's most significant modern artists and printmakers, renowned for his deeply humanistic explorations of suffering, resilience, and collective memory. Born in Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) in 1921, Hore came of age during a period of profound political and social upheaval. The Bengal Famine of 1943 and the Tebhaga peasant movement left an indelible mark on his artistic vision, shaping a practice that remained committed to bearing witness to human hardship throughout his career.

Hore studied at the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, under the guidance of Zainul Abedin and later trained in printmaking with Saifuddin Ahmed. His early association with the Communist Party and artists such as Chittaprosad introduced him to socially engaged art, leading to illustrations and sketches that documented the struggles of ordinary people. Although he later distanced himself from political ideology, his work continued to reflect a profound empathy for the marginalised.

Working across drawing, printmaking, and sculpture, Hore developed a distinctive visual language defined by austere compositions, expressive linearity, and textured surfaces. His iconic Wounds series, with its scarred forms, slits, and perforations, distilled physical and emotional trauma into powerful abstract symbols, establishing him as one of the foremost innovators of modern Indian printmaking and sculpture.

A dedicated educator, Hore founded the printmaking department at Delhi Polytechnic in 1958 before joining Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, in 1968 as Head of Printmaking. There, influenced by artists such as Ramkinkar Baij and Benode Behari Mukherjee, he further expanded his practice while mentoring a generation of Indian printmakers. Today, his works are held in major public and private collections and remain among the most poignant artistic responses to the human cost of violence, displacement, and conflict in modern India.