The art world remembers Kalidas Karmakar, a visionary whose creativity knew no bounds, on what would have been his 80th birthday. To celebrate his enduring influence, a quiet, heartfelt gathering brought together family, friends, and fellow artists, reflecting the personal and artistic legacy he left behind.

Kalidas had a rare ability to blend imagination with experimentation. From his early paintings in the 1970s to his innovative etchings and explorations of mythic and tantric imagery in the 1980s, he constantly pushed the boundaries of printmaking and painting. Beyond the canvas, he transformed exhibitions into live experiences, combining performance and music, and even taking art to unexpected sites such as the river chars of the Padma, inspiring a new approach to site-specific art in Bangladesh.

At the commemoration, a live drawing session by Biren Shome, Proshanto Karmakar, Azmeer Hossain, Bishwajit Goswami, Sourav Chowdhury, and young artists captured the spirit of Kalidas's own practice. Shyamal Biswas's flute performance added a musical dimension, evoking the artist's signature combination of visual art and sound. Family members, including his daughter Kanka Karmakar, were present, along with distinguished guests such as Luva Nahid Choudhury, Director-General of the Bengal Foundation, and Enam Ul Haque. Gallery Cosmos also paid tribute through its events and social media, keeping Kalidas's inspiring legacy alive for new generations of artists.

Sourav Chowdhury, Artistic Director, Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71