The noted artist from Assam – Nil Pawan Baruah, passed away at around 3.15 PM on Friday after a prolonged illness. He was 86 years old. Baruah was undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
Born on June 1, 1936 at Teok in Assam’s Jorhat, the artist pursued his education in Glazed Pottery from Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan.
Known as a non-conformist, Baruah was an expert in pottery, poetry, mask-making and reviving the art of weaving the Brindabani Bastra – a rare silk textile fragments depicting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna in a floral, naturalistic and preciously elegant style.
He also established the Charu – Karu Kala Parishad in Assam’s Charaideo. On 2021, the Assam Government conferred the distinguished artist with the ‘Assam Sourav’ Award.
Baruah was married to the renowned singer – Dipali Borthakur, who was popularly referred as the “Nightingale of Assam” for her melodious voice. She was diagnosed with motor neuron disease which kept her bedridden for more than five decades, until she died in 2018.
Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH – Sarbananda Sonowal; and the Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma condoled the untimely demise of the artist.
Neelpawan Baruah was an artist par excellence, whose magical brush gave a new direction to the art & cultural landscape of Assam. He inspired a whole generation & his demise is a great loss to India's art field. My deepest condolences to his family and art lovers. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/YVEH4GphZC
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) October 28, 2022
বৰুৱাদেৱৰ প্ৰয়াণত ৰাজ্যখনে এগৰাকী কলাৰ একনিষ্ঠ সাধক তথা বৰেণ্য ব্যক্তিত্বক হেৰুৱালে ৷ তেখেতৰ বিয়োগ এক অপূৰণীয় ক্ষতি৷ এই দুখৰ মুহূৰ্তত বৰেণ্য শিল্পীগৰাকীৰ বিদেহ আত্মাৰ চিৰশান্তি কামনাৰ অৰ্থে ঈশ্বৰৰ ওচৰত প্ৰাৰ্থনা জনোৱাৰ লগতে শোকসন্তপ্ত পৰিয়ালবৰ্গলৈ গভীৰ সমবেদনা জ্ঞাপন কৰিলোঁ৷
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 28, 2022
