Somnath Hore was an artist who was deeply affected by the cataclysms that had changed the social history & fabric of Bengal. Hore's art has always been guided by humanist concerns as much as the need to represent the figure who endures such catastrophes & movements with lasting endurance. The Bengal Famine of 1943 & the Tebhaga peasant uprising of 1946 formed the basis of his first artistic engagements.
Hore joined the Government School of Art,Calcutta in 1945 where he trained under Zainul Abedin & later learnt wood engraving under Saifuddin Ahmed. From 1958-1967 he served as senior lecturer & Head of the graphics department at Delhi Polytechnic & was a visiting professor at the Graphics department at MSU Baroda. From 1968-1984 he served as visiting professor at Kala Bhavan,Santiniketan.
He won the National Award in 1960,1962 & 1963 & in 1979 was made General Council Member of the Lalit Kala Akademi. Amongst his many shows,he participated Lugano International Graphics Biennale,Switzerland in 1960; Tokyo Prints Biennale,Tokyo in 1962; The Venice Biennale in 1962; The Sao Paulo Biennale,Brazil in 1963.
Hore's work can be found in the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Modern Art,New Delhi; Lalit Kala Akademi,New Delhi; Ministry of Education,New Delhi; Bahai Museum,New Delhi; Art Heritage,New Delhi; Jehangir Nicholson Collection,Mumbai; Osian's Mumbai; Birla Academy of Arts& Culture,Calcutta; The Museum of Bengal Modern Art,Calcutta amongst others.
