Banerjee first practiced drawing to cope with the tragic events surrounding the Bengal Famine (1943-1944). In a conversation with Charles Stroh, the artist described his works as “memory aides” that give permanence to the moments when a human heart resonates with the “mute message” of nature.

He supported his studies at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata, by designing book covers and illustrations for publishing companies. He began printmaking in the 1970s and co-founded the Society of Contemporary Artists based in Kolkata. Its printmaking studio served as an artistic hub in the sixties, seventies, and eighties.