Jagdish Dey

Jagadish Chandra Dey is an Indian painter and printmaker renowned for his distinctive surrealist style, where the real and unreal coexist. He has been part of numerous art societies and juries. Born in 1942 in Sylhet (now in Bangladesh). He relocated with his family to Assam at a young age, where he completed his schooling. He graduated from the College of Art, Delhi in 1963 and joined the faculty in 1965. In his early career, he collaborated with other prominent Indian artists such as Manjit Bawa, Umesh Varma, and Gokal Dembi.

Dey’s surreal depictions of women in dreamlike sequences are distinctive. In fact, he paints both men and women in a surrealist manner, aiming to capture the intricate music of their diverse moods and emotions. Another recurring motif in his work is the peacock, often seen alongside female figures, serving as a means of communication between figures. He also employs the theme of the flying female figure in dreamlike mystical scenarios, which helps create a harmonious relationship with the surroundings.

The artist has received the AIFACS Awards in 1969, 1982, the Sahitya Kala Parishad’s Award in 1981, 82, 89, a Senior Fellowship awarded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in 1998, and the National Academy Award by Lalit Kala Academy in 2000.