Eminent artist Jogen Chowdhury has passed away on Sunday morning in Kolkata following a 15-month long battle with blood cancer, gallerist Somak Mitra of Art Exposure told The Indian Express. He was 87.

“He was diagnosed over a year ago, but the fighter that he was, he fought back,” Mitra said, adding, “He was admitted to the hospital in Shoshti (October 16) and passed away this morning after an infection.”

Chowdhury, who was represented by Art Exposure, is best known for his distinct ability to merge traditional, often religious and mythical, iconography with a contemporary sensibility.

He worked across several mediums, including ink, watercolour, pastel and oil, but it was his lines that spoke the loudest. Clean, dense or busy, Chowdhury’s use of lines said a lot about the artist’s state of mind while making a painting.

“He was 87 and I am 31, but he was both my mentor and friend.…