Untitled

Medium:Acrylic
Height:42 inch / 106.7 cm
Width:60 inch / 152.4 cm
Surface:Canvas
Style:Figurative Paintings
Dimension:W: 152.4 cm × H: 106.7 cm
Year:2016

A striking figurative composition featuring a group of expressive, elongated figures set against a vivid red background. Through bold colors, textured brushwork, and emotionally charged forms, the artwork explores themes of resilience, human connection, and the shared experiences that bind people together.

Description

Rabin Mondal | Untitled | Acrylic on Canvas | 42 x 60 inches | 2016

This powerful composition reflects the unmistakable visual language of Rabin Mondal, where human figures become symbols of resilience, struggle, and shared existence. Set against an intense crimson-red backdrop, the artwork presents a group of elongated, skeletal figures gathered within a confined space, creating a scene that feels both deeply personal and universally human.

The figures, rendered in luminous shades of green and blue, appear weathered by experience. Their expressive faces, hollowed forms, and intertwined gestures evoke a range of emotions—from sorrow and vulnerability to companionship and quiet endurance. Despite their apparent fragility, they possess a remarkable presence, standing together as witnesses to life’s hardships and triumphs.

The dramatic contrast between the vibrant red background and the cool-toned figures heightens the emotional intensity of the work. Vertical elements and angular forms create a sense of enclosure, while the clustered arrangement of the figures suggests themes of community, survival, and interconnectedness. The artist’s textured brushwork and bold outlines add depth and movement, allowing the painting to resonate with raw emotional energy.

Rather than offering a straightforward narrative, the artwork invites contemplation. It speaks of the human condition—our struggles, relationships, and enduring spirit—while leaving space for viewers to discover their own meanings within its expressive forms. Rich in emotion and symbolism, this painting stands as a compelling exploration of humanity and collective experience.

Rabin Mondal was inspired by primitive and tribal art, its potent simplifications and raw energy.
The son of a mechanical draughtsman, Rabin Mondal took to drawing and painting at the age of twelve when he injured his knee and was confined to bed.
The Bengal famine of 1943 and the Calcutta communal riots of 1946 deeply impacted his psyche; he joined the Communist Party and became an activist. Mondal’s final refuge was art as the ultimate weapon of protest.
Mondal’s figuration derived from a growing abhorrence towards mankind’s moral decay in all spheres of life. The cubo-futuristic angularities of forms within the pictorial space arranged around them evolved into a series of paintings depicting highly distinct human figures that struggled to live a hero’s life in a mocking but tragic world.
Mondal’s images have a deeply felt iconic appearance. The series Queen, King, Man represent figures that are static, totemic, tragicomic, ruthlessly shattered and ruined. Having subverted the classical canons of harmony and beauty, Mondal evolved a vocabulary to express his anguish and rage towards decadence in society. The expressionistic use of splattered colours and the bold application of black are part of that vocabulary.
Beginning his career as an art teacher, with a stint as an art director in films, he was a founder member of Calcutta Painters in 1964, and from 1979-83 a general council member of Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. He passed away in Kolkata on 2 July 2019.

Shipment DetailsThis artwork will be shipped unframed, either in roll form or flat, depending on its requirements—at no additional cost.

If you’d prefer the artwork to arrive ready to hang, please get in touch with us to arrange framing and shipping at applicable charges.

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