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Jatin Das (painter) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth2 December 1941

Age81 Years

BirthplaceBaripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India

ProfessionPainter; Sculptor; Graphic artist; Muralist; Poet

NationalityIndian

Marital statusSeparated

SpouseVarsha Das; Bidisha Roy Das

FamilyChildren - Nandita Das; Siddhartha Das; Rehan Das

Jatin Das (painter) Biography

Jatin Das is an Indian contemporary painter, sculptor, muralist and poet whose career spans decades of exhibitions, public commissions, teaching and art-­c

Early life and background

Jatin Das was born on 2 December 1941 in Baripada, Mayurbhanj, in Odisha. Raised in a middle‑class Bengali family, he grew up immersed in regional music and ritual traditions that shaped his lifelong engagement with art and culture. He moved to Bombay to study painting at Sir J. J. School of Art, attending from 1957 to 1962.

Career

Soon after completing his studies, Das began showing his work widely. He participated in major international exhibitions early in his career, including the Paris Biennale (1971), Documenta in Kassel (1975) and the Venice Biennale (1978). Over the years he has held more than sixty‑eight solo shows in India and abroad and contributed to numerous group exhibitions.

Das works across media — painting, sculpture, murals, printmaking and drawing — and uses oil, acrylic, watercolour, ink and Conté. His print editions include etching, drypoint, lithograph and serigraph. His paintings often examine the emotional dynamics of human relationships, especially the interactions between men and women.

Major public commissions and installations are an important part of his practice. Notable works include a 7 by 68 feet mural titled “Mohenjo‑Daro to Mahatma Gandhi” installed in the Parliament of India, a façade mural for the Chelsea Arts Club in London, a large mural at Bangalore International Airport, and commissions for the Agricultural Ministry at Pragati Maidan and for corporate and cultural spaces.

Das has also published and edited. His book The Art of Jatin Das was released in 2003, and an earlier collection of his poems appeared in 1972. He has designed postage stamps for the Indian Postal Service on themes such as road safety, world peace and the Red Cross.

Collecting, institutions and public work

Das built an extensive collection of traditional objects, most notably more than 6,500 hand fans from across the subcontinent. This fan collection has been exhibited in India and internationally, at venues including the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, the Fan Museum in London and museums in Kuala Lumpur, Zurich and Manila. A dedicated museum in New Delhi houses the collection, and a book based on it was published by Mapin International.

In 1997 he established the JD Centre of Art in Odisha, a registered trust designed by architect B. V. Doshi to promote art and to house his collections. He has served on advisory committees for a wide range of cultural and civic institutions, including roles with the Delhi Urban Art Commission, the National Crafts Museum (formerly Rural India Complex), Philately in New Delhi, HUDCO, the India International Centre and Republic Day Parade committees.

Teaching and workshops

Das has taught and lectured extensively. He was a visiting professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Jamia Millia Islamia from 2009 to 2011 and served as Professor Emeritus there in 2008. He has also been a visiting faculty member at the National School of Drama, the School of Planning and Architecture, the College of Art and the National Institute of Design. He has organized and participated in numerous artist camps and workshops across India and abroad, often linked to fundraising and charitable causes.

Honours and recognition

Das’s work has been recognized with national and international honours. Awards and honorary degrees listed in his record include the Padma Bhushan (2012), the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity from Italy (2007), and multiple honorary D.Litt. degrees from Indian universities. He has received regional and national awards across several decades for his contribution to the visual arts.

Public profile

Das’s practice extended into public service and civic action. After the 1999 supercyclone in Odisha he led relief and rehabilitation efforts in affected villages. He has delivered lectures at art institutions and universities in India and overseas, including Stanford University and Santacruz University (Los Angeles).

Latest updates

Das’s recent public activity has included continued exhibitions, lectures and advisory work. Among later public commissions are a mural at Bangalore International Airport (2014) and work for a corporate house in 2019. He has remained active in curating, collecting and conserving traditional arts through the JD Centre of Art.

Personal life

Jatin Das is the father of actress Nandita Das and of Siddhartha Das. He has been married more than once and is listed as separated. Physical features recorded in public profiles include black eyes and grey hair.

Selected works and themes

Prominent works attributed to Das include Wrapped Woman, Shakti, Interaction, Sringar, Krishna, Radha Krishna Ganpati, Radhika, The Presence, Woman in Stance and Classical Torso. Across paintings, prints, sculptures and murals his work explores emotional states, relationships and cultural memory.

Community and controversies

In addition to his artistic career, Das has been an active participant in cultural committees and public initiatives. His long public life has also included reports of allegations and official notices related to housing allotments; these items have appeared in news accounts alongside his professional record.
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Recent Work

Mural at Bangalore International Airport

Large public mural commission completed in 2014

2014
Adani Corporate House commission

Work completed for a corporate commission

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Participated in Paris Biennale (1971), Documenta Kassel (1975) and Venice Biennale (1978)
  2. Established JD Centre of Art in Odisha (1997)
  3. Holder of major public commissions including a large mural in the Parliament of India
  4. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2012) and international honours
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jatin Das (painter) born?

2 December 1941

What is Jatin Das (painter) known for?

Painter; Sculptor; Graphic artist; Muralist; Poet

What is Jatin Das (painter)’s marital status?

Separated

Who is Jatin Das (painter) married to?

Varsha Das; Bidisha Roy Das