Description
Rabin Mondal | Untitled | Acrylic on Canvas | 36 x 30 inches | 2015
This captivating artwork by Rabin Mondal portrays a powerful tribal figure with a commanding yet introspective presence. The subject, adorned with an elaborate headdress, bold circular earrings, and layered necklaces, appears like a guardian of tradition — someone who carries history, wisdom, and silent strength within. The elongated face and solemn expression create an emotional depth that feels both personal and universal.
Painted in vibrant shades of red, orange, black, and earthy tones, the composition radiates warmth and intensity. The textured brushwork and expressive use of color bring life to the figure, making the portrait feel almost sculptural. The rich red background further enhances the regal aura, while the tribal ornaments symbolize identity, culture, and ancestral pride.
Rabin Mondal’s signature expressionist style transforms the human form into something symbolic and timeless. Rather than focusing on realism, he captures emotion and spirit, allowing the viewer to connect with the figure on a deeper level. This painting is a celebration of heritage, resilience, and the enduring dignity of human presence.

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.