| Medium | : | Tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Height | : | 28 inch / 71.1 cm |
| Width | : | 22 inch / 55.9 cm |
| Surface | : | Board |
| Style | : | Animals paintings, Figurative Paintings |
| Dimension | : | W: 55.9 cm × H: 71.1 cm |
| Year | : | 2018 |
A striking portrait of a woman seated with her beloved cat, set against a vibrant yellow background. Rich in colour and simplicity, the artwork beautifully captures themes of companionship, elegance, and everyday serenity through a refined folk-inspired aesthetic.
Lalu Prasad Shaw | Bibi | Tempera on Board | 28 x 22 inches | 2018
This captivating artwork presents a poised woman seated gracefully against a luminous yellow backdrop, accompanied by a calm grey cat resting beside her. Rendered in a distinctive folk-modern style, the composition reflects simplicity, elegance, and quiet introspection. The artist uses clean outlines, balanced forms, and a restrained yet striking colour palette to create a portrait that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
The woman, dressed in a beautifully patterned red sari, occupies the centre of the composition with a serene and composed expression. Her direct gaze establishes an immediate connection with the viewer, while the cat introduces a sense of companionship, warmth, and domestic intimacy. The vibrant yellow background enhances the visual impact of the figure, allowing every detail—from the delicate jewellery to the flowing drapery of the sari—to stand out with clarity.
The artwork celebrates everyday life and feminine grace, transforming an ordinary moment into a memorable visual narrative. Through its harmonious colours and understated symbolism, the painting evokes feelings of comfort, dignity, and quiet strength. Its decorative appeal and emotional depth make it an engaging addition to both contemporary and traditional interiors.
Born in Suri Bengal, in 1937, Lalu Prasad Shaw obtained a Diploma in Painting from the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, in 1959.
Despite training in Company School art, traditional Kalighat pats and Ajanta cave frescos, Shaw evolved his distinctive style to work in watercolours and oil. His teachers were some of the leading artists of the time, such as Gopal Ghose, Rathin Maitra, and Maniklal Banerjee.
In the 1970s, Shaw mastered the genre of graphics — initiated by the Society of Contemporary Artists — expressing it through the abstract form. Shaw experimented with the two-dimensional, geometric and non-figurative, as is evident in his lithographs.
Unlike his prints, Shaw’s paintings are charged with nostalgia and are object-specific. His brooding characters — men, women, and children — seem frozen into a kind of quiescent gesture; they are formal and speechless, but still expressive. Drawing from Mughal miniatures and adhering largely to profiles framed within borders along the edges, Shaw depicts faces of ordinary people, emphasising their physical characteristics. He has also experimented with landscapes, appearing to merge the urban and rural visual in styles ranging from the minimalist to cubist-inspired. His confident use of broad blocks of colours placed harmoniously is seen here too.
Shaw has exhibited extensively in India and abroad and his works form part of national and international collections. He has received prestigious awards like the West Bengal Lalit Kala Akademi award, the national award of the Lalit Kala Akademi, and the Birla Academy award. He lives and works in Kolkata.
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