In a large window overlooking a section of the garden in the home atelier is a stained glass rendition of Sen’s 1991 water colour painting called Jardin de jour (Day garden). Sen’s obsession with colours was perceptible in his paintings right from his 1969 academic period. But it is more distinguishable now in his Gesturism Art ideology paintings of abstract with hidden figuratives.
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.
