Jamuna Sen

Jamuna Sen. (1912-2001)

The youngest daughter of Nandalal Bose, wife of my uncle Keshab (Shebak) Chandra Sen, Jamuna Sen was a true artist in every sense of the word. During her teen years she became an accomplished classical dancer and was one of Tagores favorite to take the leading role in so many of his dance dramas. The artist Bose took the responsibility himself to become her costume designer during every performance. They traveled all over the country with Tagore. At the same time she showed interest in paintings, artworks and designing, and soon became the student of Kala Bhawan, the art department of Biswabharati, founded by Tagore. The art school has nurtured many of India’s best known artists. Later on in her life Jamuna joined there as the faculty.

In her teen years she started experimenting with colors. Tagore brought the art of Java after his trip, and handed over his travel collections to the school, Jamuna started working with colors and wax, her goal was how to create artwork of batik with paint brush and colors together with wax to reproduce authentic java art. She preferred various organic colors, although Javaa batik was mainly with golden brown and yellow. So the experiment continued on. Nandalal, watching then teen Jamunas enthusiasms started teaching her designs and floor art call Alpana. That’s when the art of batik started in Kala Bhawan and then in India and now is very popular.

The other art she took interest was embroidered fabric (Katha Stitch); Jamuna was the one to give it a colorful beauty. Now Bengalies embroidered stitched saris are very fashionable attire all over India.

After retirement from the art school with art in her soul, Jamuna started an organization called “Karu Sangha”which originally was the idea of her father Nandalal Bose in 1931 but did not continue for very long, for all the exstudents of Kala Bhawan to start a path of income to all of them.

I have seen Jamuna tirelessly creating and drawing all day, the collections stored in a safe in Karu Sangha and some in home. Her artwork was so well known several times her home was broken into to steal her designs same with the Karu Shanghas safe. Always was she generous to give her work away.

Jamuna Sen was my inspiration in always striving for excellence the most positive figure in my life and loved me like a daughter she never had.

Anjana Dey Feb10