Amitabha Banerjee first practiced drawing to cope with the tragic events surrounding the Bengal Famine (1943-44). He supported his studies at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata, by designing book covers and illustrations for publishing companies. Many of Banerjee’s prints retain a graphic quality. In a conversation with Charles Stroh, Banerjee explained his works as “memory aides” which give permanence to the moments when a human heart resonates with the “mute message” of nature. Some of the resulting prints employ forms that can be recognized by other viewers, while others can only be understood by the artist.

As a child, Amitabha Banerjee was imprinted with Bengali rituals and traditions by his grandmother. After his graduation from the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Kolkata, he worked at the United States Information Service headquartered in the same city. In 1970, he attended a workshop led by the graphic artist Paul Lingren (Nebraska, USA; 1923-1989) alongside several other artists in this exhibition.