Rabin Mondal

1929

Born in Howrah, West Bengal.

1943

The devastation caused by the Bengal famine scars him.

1946

Makes a charcoal portrait of Subhash Chandra Bose at a school event organised at the Howrah Maidan. The artist’s work is praised by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

1949

Joins Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta, but discontinues due to the family’s failing finances. Nevertheless, he continues to explore the grotesque in his painting. Deeply affected by the mass slaughter and looting of pre-Partition communal riots in Calcutta, his work becomes an expression of the human turmoil around him.

1952

Graduates in commerce from Vidyasagar College, Calcutta University.

1953-54

Starts teaching at the I. R. Belilious Institute, Howrah.

1955

His work is displayed along with leading artists of Bengal, as part of a group exhibition.

1956-58

Joins evening classes at Indian College of Art and Draughtmanship, Calcutta; works as an art director for two films, one of them being the Bengali film, Ajana Kahini.

1959

Completes an art appreciation course conducted by Calcutta University at Ashutosh Museum.

1962

Holds his first solo show at Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta.

1963,'64,'65

Is part of Lalit Kala Akademi’s national exhibition in New Delhi.

1964

Becomes co-founder of Calcutta Painters with Bijan Choudhary, Gopal Sanyal, Nikhil Biswas, Prokash Karmakar, Ronjon Roodra, and Bimal Banerjee.

1969

Organises Calcutta Art Fair along with fellow artists where he is elected joint secretary.

1970s

Expresses his dismay at the manner in which society is being inveigled by people in positions of authority through his King series.

1970

Edits Drawings by Contemporary Artists of Bengal; with his use of the colour red in most of these works, Rabin suggests a raging, paranoiac world bursting into flames.

1972

Paints Genocide as part of a series on the tragedy of the poor and marginalised.

1975

Is part of the third International Triennale, New Delhi.

1974

Holds a solo exhibition at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.

Illustrates Pritish Nandy’s book, The Songs of Meerabai.

1976

Marries Bani Mitra, eighteen years his junior.

1979-83

Serves as member, general council, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

1984

Is part of Tokyo Biennale, Japan.

1985

Is represented in Contemporary Indian Painting, a Films Division documentary.

1987

Joins Department of Visual Arts, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta, as visiting lecturer.

1988

Publishes Rabin Mondal: Drawings 1970-1988, with an introduction by Dr. Ashok Mitra.

1992

Participates in ‘Contemporary Indian Art’, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

1993

Publishes some of his writings from his journals in his biography, Amar Katha.

1996

Is honoured with the Eminent Painter award by All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi.

1999

Is elected member of the Charukala Parishad, Department of Information and Culture, Government of West Bengal.

2000

Wife Bani dies; the couple have no children.

2001

Is awarded the Abanindranath Puraskar by the Department of Information and Culture, Government of West Bengal.

2002

His works are part of Osian’s exhibition and auction, Mumbai.

2005

After the Fall: The Life and Times of Rabin Mondal, written by Santo Datta, is published by DAG to accompany a retrospective on the artist in New Delhi.

2014

'Kingdom of Exile: A Rabin Mondal Retrospective', accompanies another retrospective on the artist by DAG; the exhibition opens in New Delhi and travels subsequently to Mumbai and New York.

2016

Rabin Mondal’s King series is shown at the Shanghai Biennale curated by RAQS Media.

2019

Passes away at the age of ninety.