Reclining Woman

Figuration has remained central to Jogen Chowdhury’s practice, something the artist puts down to his humanistic approach and attachment to human life. If most of his work carries the scars of social and political upheaval in the form of the body, the rare departure such as this one forms a welcome respite. The woman here rests indolently in a classical pose, palm supporting her chin. She is fully clothed, there is nothing that hovers uncertainly about her to take away the innocence of her stance, no sense of danger looms...a welcome exception in Chowdhury’s oeuvre.