Indian shoppers get enticed by the tantalizing colours of daily life objects sold at street corners, open bazaars or wholesale markets. And like a magnet, Sen is drawn to these colours too. See his selection displayed at his home: decorative tassels that adorn women’s saris, embroidered slippers, differently hued clothes clips and cleaning sponges, even a variety of colour powders carefully kept in jars.
When India was partitioned 1947 to create Pakistan, a new country for Muslims, about 20 million people of Bengal and Punjab were displaced and brutally victimized. Sen’s wealthy, literate family had huge landed property in erstwhile East Bengal, the present Bangladesh, which was carved out to be East Pakistan for Muslims. So for being Hindus Sen’s family was overnight evicted from their home. Without taking any possessions, they fled for their lives amidst people warring over religion, and so became squatted refugees in West Bengal.
