Black Faced Hanuman by Jogen Chowdhury

This black-faced Hanuman by Jogen Chowdhury (b.1939) carries a human presence. It does not feel made to impress or decorate. Instead, it feels like devotion, prayer placed onto the surface.

There is a strong folk-art sensibility here, not only in style but in spirit. It feels as if a devotee, while praying to Lord Hanuman, has imagined him in an inner language and expressed that vision without hesitation. When people pray, they do not think of proportion, finish, or beauty. They think of feeling, Bhakti. This work carries that same honesty.

The face is not refined or idealised. It is raw, intense, and direct. The brushwork and lines are powerful, reflecting the strength of Lord Hanuman. Yet the force does not come from technique alone. It comes from intention. The artist is not trying to paint emotion. He is releasing it, instinctively, as if the hand moved faster than thought.

This approach echoes how folk art traditions developed in India. Often created by ordinary people, these works were made for belief and ritual. Expression mattered more than aesthetics. Here too, the honesty of Chowdhury’s devotion becomes the artwork’s greatest power.