Jogen Chowdhury is known for his ability to successfully marry traditional imagery with the zeitgeist of contempo rary painting , in a skillful blend of an urbane self - awareness and a highly localized Bengali influence . His early works show an attention to figuration that carries through in his current pieces . Speaking on contemporary art , Chowdhury maintains the necessity of a uniquely Indian approach to art , as opposed to the blind aping of Western trends , " To be global you do not have to do something that is imitative of America , Australia or England . It has to have an authenticity , which is not what blind imitation allows for . " Born in 1939 in Faridpur , Bengal , Chowdhury studied at the Government College of Art and Crafts , Kolkata , from 1955-60 , followed by a stint at L'Ecole Nationale Superior des Beax - Arts , Paris , in 1965-57 on a French Government Scholarship . In 1966 , Chowdhury was awarded the Prix le France de la Jeune Peinture in Paris , and , in 1986 , received an award at the Second Biennale of Havana , Cuba . He was pre sented the Kalidas Sanman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2001