Noted artist Benu Mishra passes away at the age of 80 in Guwahati

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Renowned artist Benu Mishra passed away in Guwahati on Wednesday at the age of 80. Life is short, art is long. In sync with this, the renowned artist has left behind a whole lot of his creative works, besides his wife, a son, two daughters and admirers. His mortal remains were cremated with State honours at Nabagraha Crematorium in Guwahati later in the day.

Born in the famous Mishra family of Late Jogendranath Mishra and Bhagyeswari Devi in Barpeta on November 27, 1939, the late artist had been in Guwahati since 1946. He did his schooling at Chenikuthi Primary School, Kamrup Academy, and Cotton Collegiate School in Guwahati from where he did his matriculation in 1957. That year he got scholarship from the State Government to study in Shantiniketan in Calcutta from where he came out successfully with a four-year diploma in Fine Arts and Crafts in 1961. In 1962, he joined the Janasonyog, Assam as an artist. In 1963 he had to work as an art teacher at Sir Jacob Sasoon School in Bombay for a brief stint.

In1964 his exhibited his first solo arts in Kathmandu in Nepal. In 1973 he joined the Government Art and Craft School. The same year he took part in the World Youth Festival in then East Germany. He entered his wedlock with Rajlakshmi Mishra that in 1973.

In 1976, he joined the Guwahati Artist Guild as its founder president and dedicated himself to develop art and craft of the State. In 1989, he took retirement as the president of Guwahati Artist Guild. It was that year he could complete his one of the best oil paintings – death – that brought him name and fame. His other prominent creations include The Chair, A Hot News, The Last Supper, Rain over the Brick Filed, etc. He also crafted a number of busts and life-size sculptures of a number of great personalities during his life time.

In 1993, he exhibited his second solo art exhibition in Guwahati. In 1998 he was nominated as a member of Srimanta Sankaradeva Lalit Kala Academy. He superannuated from Janasonyog, Assam as a senior officer.

In 2006, he was given away the Bishnu Prasad Rabha Award. Prior to that, he received the Pranab Baruah Award in 2003.

His mortal remains were cremated at Nabagraha Crematorium with State honours on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condoled the death of the renowned artist. In a condolence message, the Governor said: “I am deeply pained and grieved by the passing away of Benu Mishra, a towering personality who added a new dimension to the discipline of visual art…I pray to the Almighty for eternal peace of the departed soul and express my deep condolences to the bereaved family members.” In a separate message, Chief Minister said: “I am deeply saddened by the demise of noted artist Benu Mishra…I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and well-wishers in this time of grief”.

Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Hrishikesh Goswami also mourned the passing away of the noted artist and offered his sympathies to the bereaved family.

Others who condoled the death of the artist include State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, State Industries Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Naba Kumar Doley, State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Das, Assam Publication Board secretary Promod Kalita, DIPR, the Directorate of Cultural Affairs and others.

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