Biren De
Untitled 49, Circa 1960
Crayon on paper
5.25h x 3.75w in
This holiday season, Aicon Contemporary presents Drawn Matter — we invite you to celebrate the joy of drawing — and the beauty of giving art.
Featuring a vibrant selection of crayon works on paper by Biren De, this online exhibition brings together pieces that are personal, playful, and full of character.
Drawn Matter celebrates the raw, immediate magic of drawing. Using the everyday tool that is crayon, these works show what happens when simple materials meet the urge to make a mark.
For Biren De, drawing was not a secondary practice but a vital one. His works on paper, especially those made with crayon, reflect a long modernist tradition of artists embracing everyday materials to create extraordinary expressions. In the post-independence Indian art scene, where resources were often limited and experimentation was constant, artists like De turned to crayon, ballpoint pen (biro), and paper not just out of necessity, but for the freedom they offered.
These drawings capture moments of immediacy and thoughtfulness. They are full of presence—honest, unfiltered, and alive with the artist’s hand. Today, they stand as compelling pieces in their own right: personal, joyful, and richly expressive.
A crayon dragged across a page, a biro pressed into the surface — each line, smudge, or scribble carries feeling. Some drawings are careful and quiet, others bold and impulsive. Together, they speak to the joy of making, the honesty of process, and the endless ways a line can hold meaning.
From richly layered textures to energetic lines and quiet gestures, Drawn Matter showcases drawing in its purest form. These are works that invite closeness. They speak of what’s seen, but also of time spent, thoughts wandered, and moments captured on the page.
The exhibition honours drawing not as a step toward something else, but as a complete act in itself. It’s about showing up to the page and letting something unfold — one mark at a time.
Drawn Matter is a love letter to the act of drawing: direct, playful, and alive. Each work is one of a kind, and available to collect or gift — perfect for the festive season.
Biren De (1926-2011) was a pioneering figure in modern Indian art. Born in Faridpur (now in Bangladesh), De studied at the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, and went on to represent India at the Venice Biennale in 1962.
De’s lesser-known works on paper offer a more intimate view into his process and personal symbolism. His crayon and biro drawings, often executed in sketchbooks or on modest sheets, reflect a tactile curiosity—combining structure and spontaneity, diagram and doodle, gesture and meditation.
These drawings were not preparatory studies, but standalone works—spaces where De explored form, rhythm, and energy in immediate and intuitive ways. The crayon’s waxy resistance and rich color allowed him to experiment with both freedom and control, resulting in works that are playful, deliberate, and deeply connected to his larger artistic vision.