Portrait of Ashit Paul (Born 1950)

Artist Ramkinkar Baij (1906 – 1980)

dated 21-05-1975, Ink on paper
12.8 x 9.1 in. (32.5 x 23.1 cm.)

This spontaneous sketch by the legendary Ramkinkar Baij, drawn in 1975, captures the young artist Ashit Paul in a moment of vivid artistic exchange. Executed in bold, free-flowing pen lines, the portrait radiates the immediacy and expressive energy for which Ramkinkar was renowned. Signed in Bengali, the sketch is more than a visual memento—it is a testament to a moment of mutual artistic admiration and camaraderie. As described by Ashit Paul in his reflective note, the sketch emerged from an evening of vibrant conversation, where Baij, moved by Paul’s effort to sketch him, returned the gesture with this powerful portrait.

Ashit Paul, born in Kolkata and trained at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, has held solo exhibitions at prestigious venues like the Academy of Fine Arts and Chemould Gallery in Kolkata, as well as the Lalit Kala Akademi and Shridharani Gallery in Delhi. A vital part of the Kolkata art scene in the 1970s, Paul’s initiative “Choloman Shilpa” (Art on the Move) brought art into public spaces.

Ramkinkar Baij, a pioneering modernist, was known for his bold sculptures and expressive sketches. This portrait not only reflects his dynamic style but also his warmth, humility, and openness to young artists and new ideas.