ART OF BENGAL IN EARLY 20TH CENTURY
An Intra-Asian Exchange
by Amitava Bhattacharya
Published: January 2026

This book opens up an important but little examined aspect of artistic relations between India, China and Southeast Asia. It breaks new ground and reveals a history never before explored in this way. With his wide knowledge of the visual arts of South, East and Southeast Asia, the author has done a wonderful job of illuminating these relationships, and the book should be read widely by art historians, practicing artists, and scholars of intra-Asian cultural relations and the mutually fertilizing effects of artistic contacts across the region. In doing so it profoundly re-orientates Indian art history of the early modern and modern periods by situating it in the context of flows, not only from the West, but very importantly from the East as well. – John Clammer

AMITAVA

Artist, Researcher, and Scribe on Art

Amitava Bhattacharya is a practicing artist and is widely recognized for his distinct style where traditional painting elements are incorporated with mixed media techniques. His research orientation is multi-faceted and his quest ranges from Asian art and society to art education and its impact. Amitava is currently working as a field investigator under the Ganga Cultural Documentation Project in North 24 parganas, West Bengal, India under Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Delhi... MORE

ART

Primarily Amitava was a printmaker and painter. Gradually he turned up to painting. His long stint in China as a student and later as a researcher and this experience made enormous influence to work on ink on absorbing rice paper. However, he developed his own style and …. MORE

ASIAN STUDIES

Amitava’s research orientation is multi-faceted and his quest ranges from Asian art and society to art education and its impact. His major research work involved the artistic dialogue between Indian and Chinese artists after the grand visit of poet Tagore to China in 1924 ….. MORE

TRIBAL ART

Amitava’s academic interest fueled by his strong social commitment takes him to the roots of Indian tribal and indigenous art in remote tribal hamlets in India. His involvement with the tribal children shaped into a visual and textual diary, ‘Diary of an Art Master’ …. MORE

PUBLICATIONS

Amitava’s publications range from the published book titled Survey of Sino Indian Artistic Discourse to a number of significant essays in important journals and his personal diary. …. MORE

LECTURES

Amitava presented two major lectures in the seminar organized by Beijing University and New York University Shanghai, titled Few Glimpses of Sino-Indian Artistic Interactions—An Early 20^th Century Scenario ….. MORE

EXHIBITIONS

Amitava is an active participant in National and International group exhibitions, workshops, and conferences on art. He had his solo exhibitions in Sweden, Beijing, Bangkok, Kunming, ICCR Calcutta, amongst other cities. …. MORE