A Tribute to the Wizard of Watercolour
By Paramjit Singh Kakkar
There are artists who paint what they see — and then there are those rare few who paint what they feel. Phalguni Dasgupta belonged unmistakably to the latter kind. His passing on 8 November 2025 brings to a close a luminous chapter in Indian art, yet his colours continue to breathe — translucent, tender, and alive — on paper and in memory.
A Gentle Vision of Beauty
To encounter a Dasgupta painting was to enter a world of stillness. His delicate washes of colour carried both skill and a deep sense of calm. For him, the meeting of water and pigment was almost meditative, and through this, he invited viewers to slow down and rediscover beauty in its simplest form.
Early Life and Artistic Calling
Born in 1934 in East Bengal, Dasgupta grew up during a period of upheaval. After the partition of Bengal, he moved to (then) Calcutta, where the city’s cultural vibrancy left a lasting impression on him.
He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calcutta before turning fully to art. He graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta, in 1959. Even at this early stage, his sensitivity to light, mood and detail was evident. By his first exhibition in 1957, his style was already distinct.
Over the following decades, he exhibited widely across India and abroad, establishing himself as one of the finest water-colourists of his generation.
Master of a Demanding Medium
Watercolour, a medium that demands precision and patience, became his lifelong companion. Dasgupta was fondly known as “The Wizard of Watercolour”, though he remained modest about the title.
His signature technique — sprinkling salt on wet colour to create organic textures — fascinated students and peers alike. What others considered accidental effects, he viewed as a natural collaboration between artistic and imaginative intuition.
His palette flowed between earthy ochres and deep indigos, soft greens and silvery greys. Even in abstraction, his work carried a gentle lyricism, as though each painting remembered a world beyond its edges.
Subjects Rooted in Life
Dasgupta’s themes were broad and deeply human. His long-running series “Colour of Civilization” celebrated the rhythms of nature — oceans, mountains, trees, birds and cosmic energy. Birds appeared again and again in his work, reflecting the traits he saw in people: the proud crow, the social myna, the solitary crane. He painted women and mothers with quiet dignity, and his Radha–Krishna and Ganesha works radiated warmth and intimacy. His abstract works relied on emotion rather than form, allowing colour itself to speak.
Behind every subject was a profound empathy. “I see the world with my eyes and interpret it with my insight,” he once said — a truth evident in every brushstroke.
A Mentor and Poet
To many, Dasgupta was as much a teacher as an artist. Former students remember a mentor who urged them to listen — to water, to silence, to their own inner rhythm.
His advice was simple: “Paint what moves you, not what impresses you.”
He also wrote poetry, brief and reflective, mirroring the gentleness of his paintings. Whether in words or colour, clarity and sincerity guided his work.
Exhibitions, Recognition and Reach
Over nearly seventy years, Dasgupta’s work was shown in major cities including Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Dehradun, Mussoorie and Gwalior. His 2005 exhibition at ITC Sonar Bangla, Kolkata, received wide acclaim, while later shows in Dehradun reaffirmed his continued relevance.
International audiences in Europe and the USA encountered his work through group exhibitions and gallery collections. Leading institutions such as Art Pilgrim, Gallery Freedom and Birla Art Gallery showcased his paintings, earning him admiration from collectors worldwide.
His awards included the 1957 Award for Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, and the ‘Kalashree’ title conferred by AIFAC, New Delhi, among many others from India and abroad. Yet he valued the act of painting itself above all recognition.
A Quiet Life in the Hills
After retiring from the College of Art, New Delhi, Dasgupta settled in Dehradun. He was drawn to the quiet hills and greenery, which nourished his art. His studio, simple and filled with natural light, remained active until his final years. Age never dulled his curiosity; it only deepened it. He continued to observe the shifting colours of monsoon skies and the stillness of dawn with the same wonder he had in his youth.
Farewell to the Wizard of Watercolour
News of his passing brought tributes from students, fellow artists and art lovers across India.
He is remembered not just for his mastery, but for the tenderness with which he saw the world. His paintings teach us that beauty lies in quietness, in attention and in the simple act of seeing. Phalguni Dasgupta proved that with sincerity, even the simplest yet powerful materials — water and colour — can mirror the soul. Although he is no longer present, his paintings continue to breathe softly in homes, galleries and memories. His colours — gentle, transparent and timeless — remain where art and eternity meet.
