Jogen Chowdhury Dies at 87: Renowned Indian Modern Artist and Former Rajya Sabha MP

Celebrated Indian painter Jogen Chowdhury passed away in Kolkata on 25th October 2026, when he was 87 years old, as stated in reports published on 26th October 2026. He is celebrated for his fusion of traditional Indian imagery and modernist techniques of artistry. Through his unique line drawings and the cross-hatching technique, he rose to prominence as a great artist of modern Indian art. Other than being an artist, he held other positions including that of Keeper of Art at Rashtrapati Bhavan, teaching at Santiniketan and representing West Bengal in Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2020.

Who Was Jogen Chowdhury?

Jogen Chowdhury was one of the greatest modern Indian artists whose works were characterized by unique drawing, painting, and depiction of human figures. He fused the elements of traditional Bengal painting and contemporary politics and social life into his artistic creations.

In his artistic language, he borrowed a lot from the Kalighat paintings and painters such as Jamini Roy, while cross-hatching was what gave his paintings a unique texture, depth and expressiveness. Some of the paintings that were notable because of his distinctive style include Tiger in Moonlight.

He also supported young artists.

Education and Career as an Artist

Period	Notable Information
1955-1960	Attended the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata
1965-1967	Furthered education in painting and printmaking at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris
1972-1987	Worked as Keeper of Art at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Post-Rashtrapati Bhavan	Period Later went on to become an academician and teach in Santiniketan
2014-2020	Trinamool Congress member of Rajya Sabha
25th October 2026	Died in Kolkata aged 87 years

Contributions and Artistic Style

1. Combining traditional and modern art

• Chowdhury managed to fuse traditional Indian art forms with modern-day art styles. He was able to combine India’s rich artistic background with the present realities of society.

2. Unique cross hatching style

• Cross-hatching involves the drawing of intersecting sets of lines to produce shading, texture, and depth. This was unique to Chowdhury’s art style.

3. Paintings and Portraits

• He has produced paintings and portraits of distinguished personalities. Besides this, he painted the portraits of various parliamentarians, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sitaram Yechury, and Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

4. Contribution towards preservation of art

• In his capacity as Keeper of Art at Rashtrapati Bhavan between 1972 and 1987, he assisted in curating and managing the huge art collection as well as its preservation.

5. Guidance and assistance to artists

• Chowdhury was encouraging to young artists as well as appreciative of other forms of artistic expression. Artists and curators have fondly remembered him for his humility and generosity.

Political Life of Jogen Chowdhury

Chowdhury has not only contributed to the field of arts but has also served the country in a very respectable position. He became a Rajya Sabha MP in the Trinamool Congress from 2014 to 2020.

He has put forward some matters in Parliament regarding the artistic community, such as taxation on works of art. His life is an example of the involvement of artists and civil society in the Indian Parliament.