Manu Munsi
{{Short description|Indian Mother-of-Pearl artist (1924–2009)}}
{{distinguish|Manu Parekh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Manu Munsi
| native_name = {{lang|bn|মনু মুন্সী}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1924|08|02}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2009|02|20|1924|08|02}}
| birth_place = Born Manu Munshi (Manomohan Munshi)
Jessore, British India (present day Bangladesh)
| alma_mater = Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta
| nationality = Indian
| death_place = Bediapara, Dum Dum, Kolkata
| notable_works = Gandhiji's Noakhali Expedition
Indira Gandhi
Nur Jahan
| movement = Mother-of-Pearl art
| known_for = Painting and sculpture
| image = File:Manu Munshi.jpg
| spouse = Maya Munshi
| children = 3
| parents = Anukul Charan Munshi (father)
Nirmala Devi (mother)
| relatives = Annada Munshi (half brother)
Jayati Munshi (sister-in-law)
Pratip Munshi (cousin)
Kumkum Munshi (half nephew)
Manto Munshi (half nephew)
Bubu Eklund (half niece)
}}
Manu Munsi, also spelt as Manu Munshi or Monu Munshi (Bengali: মনু মুন্সী), born as Manomohan Munshi (2 August 1924 – 20 February 2009),{{cite web|url=https://arthive.com/artists/97275~Manu_Munshi|title=Manu Munshi|publisher=Arthive |date=2020-07-17 |accessdate=2020-07-17}}"প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=|first=|title=প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)|year=2009|publisher=প্রতিবিম্ব|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=5}} was an Indian painter and sculptor known for his works on Indian Mother-of-pearl art during the mid-to-end of the 20th century. Some of his works in mother of pearl include Gandhiji's Noakhali Expedition, Indira Gandhi and Nur Jahan."Santanu Ghosh: মুন্সিয়ানায় চল্লিশ পুরুষ (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=Ghosh|first=Santanu|title=Santanu Ghosh: মুন্সিয়ানায় চল্লিশ পুরুষ (in Bengali)|year=2016|publisher=Dey's Publishing|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=45-46}}
Apart from the Mother-of-pearl artworks and sculptures, he also created wire sculptures in Bengal included Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh. Some of his works are held in the personal collections of Bidhan Chandra Roy, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and Satyajit Ray. He also portrayed Tagore in various poses engraved on metal plates.{{cite web|url=https://arthive.com/artists/97275~Manu_Munshi|title=Manu Munshi|publisher=Arthive |date=2020-07-17 |accessdate=2020-07-17}}"Santanu Ghosh: বিনোদনে পাইকপাড়া বেলগাছিয়া (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=Ghosh|first=Santanu|title=Santanu Ghosh: বিনোদনে পাইকপাড়া বেলগাছিয়া (in Bengali)|year=2012|publisher=Dey's Publishing|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=98}}"Art Age: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=Age|first=Art|title=Art Age: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)|year=2016|publisher=Art Age|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=1}}
Birth and family background
Munsi was born in Jessore on 2 August in 1924 to Mother-of-pearl artist Anukul Charan Munshi who is called the Father of Indian Mother-of-Pearl artistry.{{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=Kaushik |author-link= |date= |title=কুড়িয়ে বাড়িয়ে |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hwPoDwAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A3+%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF&pg=PA171 |location=Kolkata |publisher=Sristisukh Prokashan |page=171 |isbn=9789388887526}} His elder brother was Annada Munshi who is called the Father of Commercial Art in India according to some art critics.সুবোধ সেনগুপ্ত ও অঞ্জলি বসু সম্পাদিত, সংসদ বাঙালি চরিতাভিধান, প্রথম খণ্ড, সাহিত্য সংসদ, কলকাতা, আগস্ট ২০১৬, পৃষ্ঠা ৮০৮ (in Bengali) {{ISBN|978-81-7955-135-6}}
Initial days and education
Munshi, after finishing his matriculation, started working as a novice in the studio of painter Prahlad Karmakar in Calcutta. His elder brother Annada encouraged him to attend the then Government Art School (present day Government College of Art and Craft) in Calcutta.{{cite web|url=https://arthive.com/artists/97275~Manu_Munshi|title=Manu Munshi|publisher=Arthive |date=2020-07-17 |accessdate=2020-07-17}}"প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=|first=|title=প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)|year=2009|publisher=প্রতিবিম্ব|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=7}}
Career
Munshi began his career with J. Walter Thompson, India, inspired by Annada Munshi and film-director Rajen Tarafdar.Jugantar Patrika. "Wire Sculptor" Publisher: Jugantar Patrika (1996-01-22) But, during the course of his career, he felt that the commercial art was not for him and resigned. Later he joined the Government Arts and Craft Board and ended up resigning from there too. He became a permanent part of the All India Handicrafts Board before his retirement as a senior artist.
Accolades
- Munshi's most accomplished work{{by whom|date=August 2024}} in Mother-of-pearl is Gandhiji's Noakhali Expedition which was hand-picked by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Bharat Ratna Bidhan Chandra Roy as the Best representative of Charu and Karu Art of Bengal and was sent to the United States for public exhibition.
- In 1972, Munshi received a certificate of merit from the Rabindra Bharati University.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
- In 1986, Munshi was nominated for Padmashri."প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=|first=|title=প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)|year=2009|publisher=প্রতিবিম্ব|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=8}}
Selected works
Some of his Mother-of-Pearl artworks are Gandhiji's Noakhali Expedition, Indira Gandhi (1985)"Anandabazar Patrika:এবারে ইন্দিরাজী (in Bengali)">এবারে ইন্দিরাজী (in Bengali)" Publisher: Anandabazar Patrika (1985-08-12) and Nur Jahan. He also portrayed Tagore in a variety of stances etched on metal plates. Among his wire sculptures and portraits, some examples are Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and Bhagat Singh.Aajkaal. "তারের বুননে (in Bengali)" Publisher: Aajkaal (1996-01-15)
In 1985, Satyajit Ray wrote about Manu Munshi's Mother-of-pearl piece titled Indira Gandhi:
"I have seen the mother-of-pearl portrait of Smt. Gandhi done by Shri Manu Munshi. I find it of excellent quality."
Patrons
During his entire career as an art activist, Munshi was patronized by many personalities of the same era{{clarification needed|date=August 2024}} including his own elder brother Annada Munshi, Satyajit Ray, Barrister Subodh Chandra Roy, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Subho Tagore, Hiranmay Bandopadhyay, Rajen Tarafdar, Humayun Kabir and Jehangir Kabir. His paternal name was 'Manomohan Munshi'. Later, the then Chief Minister of Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy shortened his name to 'Manu'."প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)">{{cite book|last=|first=|title=প্রতিবিম্ব: Manu Munshi (in Bengali)|year=2009|publisher=প্রতিবিম্ব|location=Kolkata|isbn=|page=11}}
Personal life
Munshi was married to Maya Bose (later Maya Munshi) whose family was from Khannyan of Hooghly of West Bengal. The couple has three sons.
Demise
Legacy
After the death of Munshi, Santanu Ghosh wrote about his life in the books Binodane Paikpara Belgachia (in Bengali: বিনোদনে পাইকপাড়া বেলগাছিয়া) and Munshianay Chollis Purush (in Bengali: মুন্সিয়ানায় চল্লিশ পুরুষ).{{cite web|url=https://archives.anandabazar.com/archive/1120903/3karcha.html|title=বিনোদনে পাইকপাড়া বেলগাছিয়া (in Bengali)|publisher=Anandabazar Patrika |date=2012-09-12 |accessdate=2012-09-12}}{{cite web|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/culture/book-reviews/story-of-colors-of-many-shades-1.483560|title=নানা রঙের ক্যানভাসে আলোছায়ার কাহিনি (in Bengali)|publisher=Anandabazar Patrika |date=2016-09-24 |accessdate=2016-09-24}}
In 2024 June, in honor of Munshi's centenary birth anniversary, a documentary film titled Excellence of Munshis in Arts (in Bengali: শিল্পে মুন্সীদের মুন্সিয়ানা) was released which was directed by Partho Mukherjee based on research by Munshi's youngest son artist Amitava Munshi."Partho Mukherjee: Shilpe Munshider Munshiana (in Bengali)">Parho Mukherjee. "Shilpe Munshider Munshiana" (2024-06-22)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
[https://srijonmunshi930.wixsite.com/artistmanumunshi Artist Manu Munshi]
{{Commons category| Manu Munsi}}
{{Zamindars of Chaugachha}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munsi, Manu}}
Category:20th-century Indian painters
Category:People from Jessore District
Category:20th-century Indian sculptors
Category:20th-century Indian male artists