Hiran Mitra
Encyclopedia
Hiran Mitra is an artist based in Kolkata
(West Bengal, India). He left his ancestral country home in Kharagpur
to study Fine Art in the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata
at the age of 14. His paintings are energetic abstract gestural paintings with the choreography of the human body observed from folk dance having influenced his recent calligraphic forms. He has contributed significantly to the visual stimulus in eastern Indian films, television, theatre and literature since in the 1980s. He is also known to have defined a benchmark for book cover design for contemporary Bengali literature. His paintings are statements on the human condition and the twilight zones of reality and time. Bold brush strokes, layered washes and sprays and unconventional use of acrylic and industrial paints characterize his paintings. He is part of the Open Window Artist group and has been part of the Painters 80 Artist group in Kolkata.
Form and Color–Paintings of Hiran Mitra–Gallery Thuillier, Paris, Oct 07
Paper Landscapes, Works on paper, at Gallery 27, London, Mar 07
Book Launch : Shadows–monography ( Ed. FDW France, Gerard Xuriguera)
Painters 80 , Jehangir Art Gallery Mumbai
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(West Bengal, India). He left his ancestral country home in Kharagpur
Kharagpur
Kharagpur is an industrial city in India. It is located in the Midnapore West district of the state of West Bengal.Kharagpur was chosen as the location of the first campus of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology . The IITs are the premier technical education institutes in India and...
to study Fine Art in the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata
Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata
The Government College of Art & Craft in Kolkata is one of the oldest Art colleges in India. It was founded on August 16, 1854 at Garanhata, Chitpur, "with the purpose of establishing an institution for teaching the youth of all classes, industrial art based on scientific methods." as the School of...
at the age of 14. His paintings are energetic abstract gestural paintings with the choreography of the human body observed from folk dance having influenced his recent calligraphic forms. He has contributed significantly to the visual stimulus in eastern Indian films, television, theatre and literature since in the 1980s. He is also known to have defined a benchmark for book cover design for contemporary Bengali literature. His paintings are statements on the human condition and the twilight zones of reality and time. Bold brush strokes, layered washes and sprays and unconventional use of acrylic and industrial paints characterize his paintings. He is part of the Open Window Artist group and has been part of the Painters 80 Artist group in Kolkata.
Solo exhibitions
- 2007
Written Image–Paintings & Installation–Oct 2007. Gallery Yapanchitra, India
Form and Color–Paintings of Hiran Mitra–Gallery Thuillier, Paris, Oct 07
Paper Landscapes, Works on paper, at Gallery 27, London, Mar 07
Book Launch : Shadows–monography ( Ed. FDW France, Gerard Xuriguera)
- 2006
Inner Sensation, recent paintings by Hiran Mitra, Gallery 27, London - 2003
Works of Movement in Dance, Theatre , Rabindra Sadan , Kolkata - 2002
"Journey with Rang Number",Academy of Fine Arts Kolkata, Performance, Installation. - 2000
Right line Gallery , Bangalore - 1997
Gaganendra Chitrashala, Calcutta - 1995
Graphics on film, Nandan Film & Cultural centre.Calcutta - 1995
Retrospective of two decades 70s-80s, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta - 1991
Paintings inspired by Voices of Baul Music. Calcutta School of Music - 1980
Paintings, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta - 1969
Paintings & Drawings, Birla Academy of Arts & Culture, Calcutta - 1966
Paintings & Drawings, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta
Group Shows (Selection) / International Art Bi-annuals
- 2008
Art Full of Bag - An installation concerning the Indian Art Market, Indian Society of Contemporary Artists at Birla Academy, *June 2008
Fusion III, Art Mosaic Gallery, August 2008 - 2007
Biennale dell Arte Contemporane di Firenze , Florence Italy 1
Open Window group–Art Context gallery, Singapore - 2006
Who Do you thik I am ? Gallery in Cork Street, London
Gallery La Mere, Annual group Show, Kolkata - 2005
"Color Palette" Habitat Centre , New Delhi
Special artists show, CIMA Kolkata
Visual Art Gallery–New Delhi - 2004
"Contemporary Forms" , Cima Gallery , Kolkata
Indian Contemporary Art–Eleven Artists, Hart Gallery, Beijing - 2003
Birla Acandemy of Art & Culture
Art of Bengal , CIMA Gallery, Mumbai - 2001
"Collections d’Hiver", Galerie Jacob , Paris - 2000
"Art & Bread, Kunst au Indien, Curated by Hannalore Christ , Hamburg
"Contemporary Indian Artists" , Birla Academy of Fine Arts, Bangalore
Painters 80, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta
"Art for Heart", Indian National Museum , Calcutta
Artists of the Millennium, Townhall Museum, Calcutta - 1999
The Contemporary Indian Art Show , Birla Academy , New Delhi & Mumbai
Abstract Trends International, curated Dr Archana Roy,– Birla Academy , Calcutta
Painters 80 , Jehangir Art Gallery Mumbai
- 1998
"All India Show", Birla Academy New Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Calcutta
Bengal Artists , Birla Academy of Arts & culture, Calcutta - 1997
Eisenstein in the eyes on Artists, graphic sketches, Gorky Sadan, Calcutta - 1996
"All India Show" - Guest Artist, Birla Academy New Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore. - 1969
Emerging Artists of Bengal, French Cultural Centre, Calcutta
Public Collections
- Indian National Museum, Nimai Chatterji collection in Tate ModernTate ModernTate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
, - Museum of Contemporary Art Dunkerque.
Publications & Media / Editions
- "Shadows"–Monograph of three decades of works on paper, foreword Gerard Xuriguera, Edition FDW France
- Painter of the Month: Guest , BBC World Service, hosted by Aminul Haque May 1997.
- "International Art ?", by Arun Ghosh, (art critic) Calcutta Metropolitan Festival of Art, Edition1997.
- "Film & Art" , by Pralay Sur (Film critic) Nandan Film Institute.
- "Modern Art in traditional Rural Painting of Bengal
- "Poetry in Paintings : Four Eminent Poets of Bengal", Volume 1 & 2, Illustrated with paintings of Hiran Mitra.
- "Art & Society" , by Hiran Mitra, Abaad publications, 1996.
- 1980 -99–Essays on Art, Film & Social Behaviour in major daily newspapers.
Awards
- Residency , Lalit Kala Academy , New Delhi , Government of India
- 1969, 70, 71 Gold Medal, Academy of Fine Arts, All India Emerging Artist.
Art projects ( Selection)
- Art Full of Bag , Installation/Workshop , Birla Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata 2008
Scene design with 10m x 6m Canvas, for the Modern drama Tista paarer brithantho. - Visual Vibrations, live painting with contemporary music performance.
- The Chau Dancers of Purulia : study on movement and body language from Dance theatre to Painting.
- Various Workshops exploring Visual Arts relationship to Body Language–Naya Theatre, with Habib TanvirHabib TanvirHabib Tanvir was one of the most popular Indian Urdu, Hindi playwrights, a theatre director, poet and actor. He is the writer of plays such as, Agra Bazar and Charandas Chor...
Dance Company, Padatik Troupe, Chetna Jalan Show, Nabonittya, Chetana Theatre Group - Art Workshop with various Indian artists–Lalit Kala Academy , Manipur