(1905 - 1972)
Born in 1905 in Bengal, Abani Sen graduated from the Govt. School of Art, Calcutta. Sen is regarded as one of the Old Masters of Modern Indian painting. He founded The Young Artists Union and later Art Rebel Centre in Calcutta. He also served as the Assistant Secretary, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta in 1933. His main contribution to Indian Art has been to bring about a change and to break through the Colonial Academic painting style by reviving the vital elements of native Indian tradition. He believed that it is in the folk tradition, the vast multitude of village population, that the main powerhouse of Indian art can be realized. Abani Sen taught Picasso, Cezanne, and Matisse to his students, but his roots are solidly grounded in the native soil. Abani Sen is also famous for his studies and paintings of animals. Throughout his long career he won many awards and recognitions throughout India. He was awarded the Governor General's Plaque in 1949. His work has been part of many shows including those in Surrey Art Gallery, British Columbia, 1972; Old Masters, Taj Palace Intercontinental, New Delhi,1995; Famed Yesteryears and Contemporary Indian Artists , 1857-1997. He was awarded the First Prize at the Annual Exhibition, Bombay Art Society, Bombay in 1945, 46, 47; Governor Generals Plaque, 18th Annual All India Art Exhibition, AIFACS, New Delhi, 1949. Abani Sen passed away with a brush in his hands like a true devotee in 1972, New Delhi.