BEGINNINGS
He was born in Begumpur, Hoogly District, West Bengal.
He was born into a betel growing family.
1930 He participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement, resulted in his loss of scholarship.
1931 Founder of `Younger Artist Union`.
1933 Under the leadership of artist Atul Bose, he was one of the founder of the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta.
1933 Formed and became the Secretary of the `Art Rebel Centre`, with the host of like minded young painters.
He was artistically active during the World War II and the Bengal Famine of 1943.
1944-45 Supervisor Artist, Central Ordnance Depot, Agra Fort, Agra.
1945 Ash was brought into the publics eye when the Progressive Writers Association discovered his series of painting on the Bengal Famine.
1946-48 Chief Artist, Indian Institute of Art in Industry, Calcutta.
1950 Joined the `Calcutta Group`, Calcutta.
1956 Founder of `Fine Arts Mission`, Begumpur.
EDUCATION
1926-30 Studied at Govt. College of Arts, Calcutta.1930-32 Student of D.P. Roychoudhury, Govt. College of Art, Madras.1932 He came back to Calcutta and was especially trained by artist Atul Bose.
EXHIBITIONS
1933 Group exhb., Rebels, Calcutta.1933-38, 48, 58 Participated in the Academy of Fine Arts Exhb., Calcutta. 1936 All India AIFACS Exhb., New Delhi.1936 Exhb. at Fine Arts Society, Madras.1943 Exhb. of Bengal Famine, Calcutta.1948 Indian Art Exhb., Singapore.1950,51 Solo Show, No. 1 Chowringhee Terrace, Calcutta.1950 Participated in joint show of Calcutta Group and Bombay Progressive Group, No. 1 Chowringhee Road, Calcutta.1953 Group show of Calcutta Group, New Delhi.1955 Solo exhb., Artistry House, Calcutta.1958 Solo exhb., Doon School, Dehradun.1969 Fine Arts Mission, Calcutta Information Center, Calcutta.1980, 86, 88 Solo exhb., Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta. 1983,95 Exhb., Art Heritage, New Delhi.1992 Solo exhb., Rembrandt Art School, Begumpur.1993 Solo exhb., Nandan, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan.1994 Retrospective of Paintings, Rembrandt Art School, Begumpur.1994 A Retrospective, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta.1995 Solo exhb., organise
COLLECTION
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata.Gajah Art Gallery, Singapore.Scottish Church College, Kolkata.Burdwan Queen, Burdwan.High Court, Kolkata.Sanjoy Bagoria, Kolkata.Anand Agarwal, Kolkata.Nabyendu Chatterjee, Kolkata.Calcutta Information Center, Kolkata.Justin Marx, Indian Contemporary Art Specialist.Rabindra Bharati University Museum, Kolkata.Mr. P.N. Talukdar, Chairman, Hindustan Lever, Kolkata.Maisadal Rajbati (State) West Bengal.Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
AWARDS
1936 First Prize, Madras Fine Arts Society, Madras.1936 Silver Medal, Delhi Fine Arts Society, New Delhi.1936,37 Received cash award, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta.1945 Silver Medal, Progressive Writers & Artists Association, Calcutta.1980 Felicitation by Lokachitra Kala, Calcutta.1981 Felicitation by Govt. of West Bengal, Calcutta.1983 First Prize, Academy of Fine Arts, Madras.1984 Abanindra Puraskar, Govt. of West Bengal.1985 Received cash prize Rs. 10,000, Art Heritage, for his significant contribution to Contemporary Indian Art, New Delhi.1985 By the order of the Govt. of India, Bombay Film Company made film of the artist and his Famine Series paintings of 1943. In the exhb. of the London Art Festival, the film was highly praised.1988 Silver Plaque, AIFACS, New Delhi.1994 On his 87th birthday, Rembrandt Art School organised a felicitation programme in his honour.1994 `Bleeding in the Sun`, is the documentary film made on him by Nabyendu Chatterjee.1988 Ve
STYLE
He is primarily known for natural and other sceneries in Oil. In his early life his works showed the influence of the academic style but later was attracted towards impressionism and this led to a creation of an individualistic style of his own, which has many charming facets but most characterised by simplified folk forms and figures evoked in naive or steady thick outlines in a space daubed with dashes and small patches of opaque paint.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1953-55 Professor, Indian College of Art and Draughtmanship, Calcutta.
Examiner, Faculty of Visual Art, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta.
