Nandalal Bose: Postcards and More Unfolds at Art Exposure, Kolkata with Rare Works

Art Exposure has opened “Nandalal Bose: Postcards and More,” an exhibition presenting a rare collection of postcards, sketches and an uncommon oil painting by one of the pioneers of modern Indian art. The exhibition opened on 3 July 2026 at the gallery’s Lake Terrace space in Kolkata and will remain on view until 28 August 2026. Moving beyond Bose’s widely recognised public achievements, the exhibition focuses on his informal artistic practice, offering visitors an opportunity to understand how everyday observations became an essential part of his creative life.

Looking Beyond the Celebrated Public Figure

Remembered as one of the leading artists of the Bengal School and an influential teacher at Santiniketan, Nandalal Bose (1882–1966) played a defining role in shaping twentieth-century Indian art. Invited by Rabindranath Tagore to Kala Bhavana and later entrusted with artistic commissions by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Bose developed a distinctive visual language rooted in Indian traditions while remaining open to experimentation.

The exhibition examines a lesser-known aspect of his practice-small drawings created on postcards. These modest works reveal an artist constantly sketching, observing and responding to the world around him, often outside the formal framework associated with his celebrated paintings and murals.

Everyday Observations Captured on Postcards

A significant portion of the exhibition consists of postcards created between 1930 and 1952, many of which originated from the family collection of Bose’s daughter, Gauri Bhanja. The artist regularly carried blank postcards during his travels, using them to record landscapes, animals, village life and fleeting moments before sending them to family members, students and friends.

Executed primarily in monochrome using pencil, ink and brush, the postcards demonstrate Bose’s remarkable ability to communicate atmosphere with minimal lines. Places such as Santiniketan, Khurja, Baroda, Gopalpur-on-Sea and Kharagpur appear through quick but carefully observed sketches that transformed ordinary correspondence into works of art.

Highlights from the Exhibition

Among the featured works are several pieces that illustrate the breadth of Bose’s artistic interests:

• Rare postcards depicting flora, fauna and rural landscapes
• Sketches of Santhal life and working communities
• Drawings of animals including elephants, crocodiles, squirrels and hippopotamuses
• Experimental collage works created in the early 1950s
• A rare demonstrative oil painting, a medium seldom associated with the artist

Experimentation Beyond Established Traditions

One of the exhibition’s most notable works is an untitled oil painting of a man wearing a headband. Although Bose generally avoided oil painting in favour of Indian and East Asian techniques, the work demonstrates his willingness to explore unfamiliar media when required. According to the exhibition notes, the painting was created as a demonstration of oil techniques rather than as a formal studio work.

The exhibition also includes playful collage compositions made from torn paper, which Bose described as hela-phelar kaaj or “trivial works.” Created while teaching students at Santiniketan, these compositions reveal his continued curiosity and belief that artistic discovery could emerge from the simplest materials.

Art Exposure’s Continuing Engagement with Modern Indian Art

Founded in Kolkata, Art Exposure has established itself as a gallery dedicated to modern and contemporary South Asian art through exhibitions, research and publications. In 2024, the gallery inaugurated a 7,000-square-foot exhibition space that supports archival projects alongside contemporary programming. The current exhibition reflects this long-term commitment to revisiting significant figures in Indian art through fresh curatorial perspectives.

Visitors can view “Nandalal Bose: Postcards and More” at Art Exposure – Lake Terrace Gallery from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with the gallery remaining closed on Sundays and public holidays. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter intimate works that reveal the artist’s lifelong habit of observing, recording and responding to everyday life through drawing.

Event at a Glance

Takeaway

Rather than celebrating only Nandalal Bose’s celebrated masterpieces, Postcards and More shifts attention to the quiet moments that shaped his artistic practice. By bringing together personal sketches, postcards and experimental works, the exhibition presents a fuller understanding of one of India’s most influential modern artists. It also highlights the importance of preserving archival material that deepens public appreciation of South Asia’s artistic heritage while inspiring new conversations around creativity, observation and cultural memory.