Kala Kendra Art Exhibition in tribute to Dr. Dwijen Sen is a Feast to the Eyes and the Soul

The Kala Kendra, Academy of Fine Arts, is hosting a Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and Pottery exhibition as a tribute to their Guru, Dr. Dwijen Sen, from 10th June to 14th June.

The ‘Kala Kendra’ was set up in 1950, by Dr. Dwijen Sen, with the objective of promoting Fine Arts in Northern U.P. and Dehradun. At that time, Kala Kendra was the only formal fine arts teaching institute in the town.

Dr. Dwijen Sen, fondly called ‘Dada’, was born on 25 December, 1924, in an eminent Bengali family. For the love of art and sculpture, he left home to fulfill his ambition and enrolled in Gurudev Tagore’s ‘Shantiniketan’ in 1942. During this period, he was also involved in the Freedom Struggle of India and he even went to jail. He came to Dehradun in 1948, where he met his adoptive mother Mrs.Shakuntala Dougall, who remained his mentor for the rest of her life.

To promote the understanding of art and crafts, exhibitions of various Indian and foreign artists have been held at Kala Kendra. Some eminent personalities who inaugurated these exhibitions were Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Mrs.Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, Mr. H Middleton, Mr. K.M. Munshi, Mr. Purushottam Das Tondon and other eminent personalities. Dada won many awards for his paintings and sculptures. His works adorn the galleries in Yugoslavia, the US, Germany, England and France. He was to be awarded the Pride of Doon award by His Excellency Mr. Sudershan Agarwal, Governor of Uttaranchal, on 13 March 2004.

Unfortunately, he expired on 12 March 2004, a day before the award function, after a prolonged illness. The award was conferred on him posthumously.

After Dr. Sen’s death, the Kala Kendra remained closed for 6 years. It was re-started by his younger brother, Col. Vijay Dougall, two years back. Talking to DehradunBuzz, Col. Dougall said, “Art is not just a visual. It is a more serious and intellectual medium. The youth today need to be made aware of the beauty of art they are missing out on, because only by being connected to the roots of the culture can their senses be invoked.”

The exhibition is an exclusive array of a colourful extravaganza. The walls are extensively lined up with numerous masterpieces of the students of the institute. Devleen Sharma, a young student at Kala Kendra, said, “Learning here is fun! There are around 25-30 people learning here, ranging from little kids to elderly women. What I love the most about this place is that we have no boundations. What we want to put down on the canvas is totally up to us. We can let our imagination fly beyond all limits.” Dolly Dang, who learnt under Dr. Sen said, “I remember Dr. Sen as a simple and quiet man. He would occasionally stop by while the students were working and guide with them by making motions with his fingers and hands. Other than that, he let his students do what they wanted to do, so that they could tap into their unique style and potential.” The exhibition showcases a marvellous collection of canvas paintings, sketches, water colour paintings, sculptures, pottery pieces and oil paintings. Just looking at these works of art is a treat for the senses. One is reminded of Hedy Lamarr’s words, ‘A good painting to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires.”