"Art needn't be realistic - but it absolutely must be truthful."

Lalu Prasad Shaw, born in 1937 in Bengal, is a renowned Indian artist recognized for his refined and stylized depictions of Bengali women and couples.
His artworks are instantly recognizable for their simplicity, grace, and refined aesthetic—characterized by smooth contours, flat colours, and a serene stillness. With a mastery of line and form, Shaw captures subtle expressions and postures, often celebrating the quiet dignity of the Bengali middle class. His subjects—often depicted in traditional attire and poised in domestic settings—evoke a nostalgic charm while also offering a modern reinterpretation of classical Indian art. His work captures the quiet dignity and charm of everyday life, often focusing on the physical beauty and expressions of his subjects with remarkable precision. With minimal use of lines and a refined color palette, his compositions exude a sense of intimacy, stillness, and composure. He pursued his formal training in fine arts at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata.
Shaw’s work is distinguished by its simplicity, grace, and precision—capturing the physical features and expressions of his subjects with remarkable economy of line and color. Each composition exudes an intimate, composed stillness.

Influenced by the pre-independence Company School of Art, traditional Kalighat Pats, and the Ajanta cave murals, Shaw’s gouache and tempera paintings reflect a seamless blend of academic technique and traditional Indian aesthetics. His themes often draw from nature and the everyday life of the Bengali middle class, depicting quiet, contemplative moments with a unique modern sensibility.

Though primarily a painter, Shaw developed a deep interest in printmaking at the age of 32. Already experienced in intaglio and lithography, he quickly established himself as a master printmaker, earning accolades equal to his reputation in painting. Since 1956, Shaw’s work has been exhibited widely across India and on prominent international platforms. His art has been showcased at several prestigious events, including the second British Biennale in London (1970), the Norwegian Print Biennales (1974 and 1978), the seventh Paris Biennale (1971), and the second Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh (1984). These global exhibitions not only affirmed his stature as a master painter but also highlighted his contributions to Indian printmaking.