Jai Zharotia

Jai Zharotia (1945-2021) was an Indian painter, sculptor, poet, printmaker, and ceramicist whose works celebrated his aspirations, dreams, and profound empathy for the world. His artistic journey began in childhood through calendar art, where he rendered gods and goddesses with a distinct sense of mysticism. He later worked as a commercial hoarding painter before his talent caught the attention of Roshen Alkazi in the early 1970s. This breakthrough led to exhibitions at the Kunika Chemould Gallery and the Black Partridge Gallery, culminating in a definitive solo show at Art Heritage before he joined the College of Art, Delhi, as a lecturer in Painting in 1974. Following his retirement from teaching, Zharotia’s creative progression grew even more intense, driving him deeper into the spectacle of space, form, and color. Guided by a quest for the unknown, his late practice was a meticulous attempt to achieve a state of singularity, uniting his work and self with the anonymous.