Biren De (b. 1926)

Biren De's paintings are concerned with uniting the "male" and the "female" principles. His works explore the various ways the two can be combined, sometimes adding other fundamental shapes such as the circle or the square to complete the equation. He is very influenced by Tantric principles, which state that the "ultimate truth" is the union of Purusha and Prakriti - the male and female principles respectively. One cannot survive without the other, which is why the "ultimate reality" requires that the two should come together. (A. Mookherjee, 'Biren De', Lalit Kala Contemporary 32, New Delhi, April 1985, p. 32.)