(1st February, 1921 - 31st January, 1993)
Haren Das (Harendra Narayan Das) was born in Dinajpur (Now in Bangladesh) on 1 February, 1921. Das pursued a Diploma in Fine Arts with a specialization in Graphic Arts, alongside studying mural painting, at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata.
Das is acknowledged as one of India’s finest graphic artists, renowned for his exceptional skill in woodcuts. Most of his extensive collection of prints consisted of woodcuts, wood engravings, and etchings, which were his preferred techniques. At times, he used linocuts for variety, and for achieving softer effects or a more diffused light, he employed sugar aquatint or mezzotint. He also worked with drypoint and embraced printmaking during a time when painting was considered the highest form of art.
Das used techniques like wood engraving, etching, and linocut to depict scenes of rural Bengali life, as well as the landscapes, seascapes, and native plants and animals of the Bengal region. His works highlight humans as a part of nature, living in harmony with their surroundings.
Das’s prints are skillfully balanced in black and white, often enhanced with light touches of colour. They feature detailed depictions of objects and elements, simple compositions, and small formats. His subjects include cobbled streets, buffaloes, village wells, and women carrying pots on their heads, among other scenes. His work showed a strong focus on his goals and a deep commitment to his craft. Unlike many of his politically active peers, Das stayed connected to the memories of his childhood, his rural roots, and the struggles he faced growing up in the city. The beauty of black-and-white photos made his work special, and during his time, the coloured prints he created were a great technical achievement.
Das’s works have been showcased in India and internationally, in countries like Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Argentina, and Chile. Notable exhibitions include the 1970 Smithsonian International Art Programme and the 2008 "Exhibition of Works by the Members of ‘Nandan,’ Shantiniketan" at Gallery with Difference, Kolkata. His artworks are part of collections at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi and the Calcutta Art Gallery.
Haren Das passed away in Kolkata on 31 January, 1993 at the age of 71.
