The psychology and politics of Bangdel’s art

The first posthumous exhibition of artist and art historian Lain Singh Bangdel in London, titled ‘Lain Singh Bangdel: Mountains and Migration’, was organised by Bonhams in November.

Lain Singh Bangdel lived through the pre-partition era of India and the artworks he produced during his formative period speak of his growing affiliation with the creative milieu of Bengal. In an unpublished essay from 1979, he quoted a popular saying from his times in Calcutta: “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” He noticed the city’s political awareness and valued it no less. He made his way to Europe just when India was building its independent national identity. Throughout his stay in Europe, his works continued to search for a Nepali identity, firstly through ‘Muna Madan’ and later revisiting the central theme of mountains. Both of these need to be analysed before even trying to understand the politics of his art.