Sanjay Kumar
Taran Tarn, Punjab, India
Sanjay Kumar is a renowned painter, printmaker, and educator whose work bridges traditional narratives with contemporary concerns. As Head of the Department of Visual Arts at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, he is dedicated to shaping artists with sensitivity and social awareness at the core of their practice.
A master of lithography, Kumar employs this intricate printmaking technique to explore themes of childhood, mythology, environmental degradation, and spiritual reflection. His imagery revisits historical and mythological stories, urging viewers to reinterpret them through a modern, solution-oriented perspective. Childhood appears not as nostalgia, but as a source of ethical and imaginative strength.
His acclaimed exhibition Vestiges of Memory on Stone at Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi addressed climate change, deforestation, and ecological imbalance, blending Kabir’s philosophy with powerful visual symbols to advocate harmony between humanity and nature.
Internationally, Kumar has represented India at the Guanlan Printmaking Base (China), Steindruck München (Germany), and La Ceiba Gráfica (Mexico), enriching his artistic vocabulary and global outlook. His achievements include the National Academy Award (Lalit Kala Akademi), International Print Biennale Award (Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal), Grand Award (AIFACS), and Gold Medal (Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi).
As an educator, he promotes art as a means of dialogue, critical thought, and social change. With aesthetic precision and ethical engagement, Sanjay Kumar’s practice stands as a vital voice in contemporary Indian art—uniting past wisdom with present urgency and hope for the future.
