Born 1953

Basak's journey as an artist began with his graduation in 1977 from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata. His paintings probe the psyche of man, plumbing the unknown depths within all of us. Like the great surrealists of the past, his work goes beyond the visible, beyond reason, to give his canvases a haunting quality.

Fantasies executed in color, his paintings have a strong grounding in reality responsible for their disturbing effect.

Aditya Basak has a fascination for fantasies that fringe on the real world. He strives to give form to the harsh realities of life and the strange thoughts that lurk in the corners of the subconscious, and both give his paintings a disturbing, haunting quality.

Basak resorts to illusions while representing the figurative elements in his work. Anatomical contouring and the management of light and shade give his works a look of mystery and unreality. Not one to indulge in a lavish use of color, the muted and subdued hues of Basak's paintings only add to the powerful imagery.

Basak is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the National Award for Painting presented by the Lalit Kala Akademi.