About Artist - Sushil Chandra Sen is most remembered for his paintings that demonstrate the consolidation of the academic-realist as well as the Bengal School styles. Sen studied at the Government School of Art, Calcutta, where he also began teaching in 1936. He went on to teach at Delhi Polytechnic for a brief period only to return to his alma mater as a vice-principal.
Sen began painting picturesque landscapes, gradually defining his subjects to include domestic and household scenes as well as social and religious customs. While his style was inspired by Abanindranath Tagore, the subjectivity drew from Mukul Dey whose works strove to redefine Indian art through traditional and relatable imagery. The artist painted primarily in watercolour and sometimes oil, observantly capturing his subjects in detail. His command over the technique enabled him to engage the viewer into reading emotions and character in his works.
Among the murals adorning the walls of the ground floor of the Old Parliament House, is Sen’s representation of King Mahameghavahana, Kharavela of Kalinga, and his Jain council held at Udayagiri in the 13th year of his reign, the 2nd century BC. Sen has exhibited widely around the world including Kabul, Afghanistan, and various cities in the U.S. Sen’s works were a part of the exhibitions ‘Changing Images: An Exhibition of 20th Century Indian Art’ at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2001, and ‘Manifestations: Indian Art in the 20th Century’ at Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, 2003.