National Award-Winning Art Director Tarun Ghosh Passes Away at 73

Tarun Ghosh, a National Film Award-winning art director and accomplished painter, passed away late Wednesday night (April 8) at the age of 73.

Filmmaker N Rashed Chowdhury confirmed the news, stating that Ghosh suffered a cardiac complication linked to asthma-related health issues.

Born on August 20, 1953, in Rajbari, Ghosh studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, graduating in 1977. He later completed his postgraduate studies at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, in 1986.

He began teaching in 1979 at Rajshahi University’s Fine Arts department, where he was one of its founding faculty members. Between 1985 and 1987, he was involved in a folk painting research and documentation programme at MS University in Baroda.

In 1989, Ghosh joined the Bangladesh National Museum, serving there for more than two decades before retiring in 2012 as a Keeper. He continued his practice as an independent artist afterward.

In cinema, Ghosh made a notable mark as an art director, earning the National Film Award for Kittonkhola, directed by Abu Sayeed and produced by Impress Telefilm. His other works include Matir Moina by Tareque Masud, the short film Norshunder, and Chandrabati Kotha by N Rashed Chowdhury. His most recent contribution was to the upcoming film Sokhi Rongomala, also directed by Chowdhury.

As a painter, Ghosh often drew from Bengali folk traditions, mythology and history, reworking them through a contemporary perspective. His celebrated Behula series brought him wide acclaim, including the Asian Art Award. Across decades, he explored themes such as the Liberation War, nature, birds, portraiture and personal expression, leaving behind a rich and varied artistic legacy.