Dhiraj Choudhury

Dhiraj Choudhury (1936–2018) was an Indian painter known for socially conscious subjects and an expressive style. Born in Brahmanbaria District in British India, now part of Bangladesh, he experienced the trauma of Partition, which influenced the themes of his work. He studied at the Government College of Art & Craft in Kolkata and taught at the College of Art, Delhi, from 1961 to 1966. Choudhury described himself as an aggressive painter concerned with the hardships of life. His work addressed the dowry system, corruption and social inequality. Over his career, he held more than eighty exhibitions, including sixteen international shows. In the 1970s, his work was exhibited in Geneva alongside works by Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. He died in Kolkata on June 1, 2018.