Jalandhar: For Basudeb Biswas (66), art has never been just a profession; it’s a devotion that requires deep involvement and lifelong learning. “Life is spent understanding it,” he says, reflecting his belief that art emerges from lived experience. Biswas, who retired from Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar, in 2018, remains actively involved in the art world. Now reappointed as a professor in the Sculpture Department after retirement, he continues both teaching and his studio practice at Virsa Vihar in Jalandhar. A practicing sculptor for over four decades, Biswas completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Shantiniketan in 1983 and his Master of Fine Arts in 1985.
In 1984, he was awarded the prestigious Cultural Scholarship for Young Artists by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Biswas’s inclination towards art dates back to his childhood. His father, a skilled boat builder, was an early influence on him. Growing up in the Andaman Islands, Biswas had a natural affinity for art, though he never imagined pursuing it professionally. A pivotal moment during his school days came when an art teacher asked students to model an eggplant in clay. Biswas created it with such precision that the teacher was impressed, an experience that further cemented his creative potential. Working primarily with brass and terracotta, and more recently with scrap metal, Biswas has developed a distinctive sculptural language characterized by material sensitivity and strong formal expression.
His works have been exhibited extensively in India and abroad and are part of many renowned collections. He has been selected thirteen times for the National Exhibition of Art organized by the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. He has received numerous national and state-level honors for his contributions to Indian sculpture, including the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi Award in 2019. In recognition of his expertise, he served on the jury panel for the 63rd National Exhibition of Art in 2023. In 2025, he was nominated and appointed as an Executive Body Member of the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh. Today, Biswas’s recent work utilizes waste brass and iron recovered from industrial scrap yards. By transforming these waste materials into memorable sculptures, he imbues them with new presence, intention, and resonance, further reaffirming his belief that art is not just about creating, but also about reimagining life.
Jalandhar: Post-retirement, veteran sculptor turns junk into art
