Who was the popular tantric artist ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (2):
G. R. Santosh (Ghulam Rasool Santosh) is widely regarded as the most important and defining artist of the **Neo-Tantra** art movement in modern Indian art, making him the correct answer. Born in Kashmir, his artistic path was dramatically altered after a mystical experience in the Amarnath cave in 1964. This spiritual awakening led him to dedicate his life to studying and practicing Kashmir Shaivism and Tantric philosophy. His paintings are distinctively Tantric, utilizing vibrant, luminous colours and precise sacred geometry—such as the *Bindu* (dot), triangle, and circle (mandala)—to visually interpret the cosmic forces and the union of Shiva (male principle) and Shakti (female energy). His mature work transformed geometric abstraction from a formal exercise into a vehicle for profound spiritual expression.

The incorrect option is (1):
Paritosh Sen was a leading modernist painter and a founding member of the influential **Calcutta Group** in 1943. His style is characterized by a deliberate blend of European modernist techniques (like Cubism) with Indian subject matter, focusing heavily on socio-political commentary, satirical caricatures, and the depiction of everyday urban life. While he was a prominent figure in modern Indian art, his artistic focus was on figurative expression and social critique, which places him stylistically far from the abstract, spiritual geometry of the Neo-Tantra movement.

The incorrect option is (3):
Jogen Chaudhary is a highly respected contemporary Indian artist, celebrated for his unique style of highly expressive, distorted figurative works. His signature technique involves using pen, ink, and pastel to create a dense texture of cross-hatching lines. His thematic focus is on human nature, often depicting figures of vulnerability, power, and satire, especially critiquing the Indian elite. His art is a powerful form of contemporary expressionism and figurative commentary, not an engagement with the philosophical tenets of Tantric art.

The incorrect option is (4):
J. Swaminathan was a significant abstract painter, intellectual, and founder of the art collective **Group 1890**. His paintings, though often abstract and deeply spiritual, are distinct from Neo-Tantra. He is known for creating mystical landscapes that explore the relationship between colour, form, and the primal energy of nature, drawing inspiration from tribal and folk art. While his art possesses a transcendent quality, his aesthetic approach and imagery differ significantly from the structured, highly symbolic geometric iconography that is the hallmark of G. R. Santosh's Tantric paintings.