Jatin Das (born 2 December 1941) is an Indian painter, sculptor and muralist. He is counted amongst the leading contemporary artists of India.

Personal life and education

Jatin Das was born on 2 December 1941 in Baripada Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India. He studied at the Sir JJ School of Art, Bombay, under Professor S.B. Palsikar. His term at the school lasted for a period of five years, from 1957 to 1962. Thereafter, he started participating in the art exhibitions, both at the national as well as the international level. Some important exhibitions where he participated include the Biennales in Paris (1971), and in Venice (1978) and the Documenta in Kessel (1975). Das was previously married to Varsha Das. He was married to Bidisha Roy Das. They have lived separately for years. Jatin has three children, including actress & filmmaker Nandita Das.

Career

Jatin Das has been painting for 50 years. He has held over 68 one-man exhibitions. He has done several murals and sculpture installations. He works in oil, watercolour, ink, graphics and conté. His works now feature in several public and private collections. Jatin has built a large personal collection of traditional arts and crafts over the last 35 years.

Awards

One-man shows (selected)

Participation in major national and international shows (selected)

Commissions (selected)

Teaching

Books

JD Centre of Art

In 1997 a trust was registered with Jatin Das as its founder, settler and chairman for the creation of the JD Centre of Art, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, designed by BV Doshi, an eminent architect. It is a private non-commercial institution that will celebrate the whole range of traditional and contemporary visual and plastic arts.

Pankha: hand fans of the Indian subcontinent

28 years ago Jatin Das began a collection of pankha (hand fans). This now numbers over 6,000 fans and related objects, the majority from the Indian subcontinent. Since May 2004, sections of the collection have been on display at eminent museums in India and overseas. The inaugural show at the National Crafts Museum, Delhi, was followed by exhibitions at the Victoria Memorial; Calcutta, Fan Museum; London, National Art Gallery; Kuala Lumpur, Reitberg Museum; Zurich and National Museum; Manila. The collection will eventually be housed in a dedicated museum in New Delhi. A book on the subject, ‘To Stir the Still Air’, is being published by Mapin International.

Overstaying in govt accommodation

In 2015, around 24 artists including Jatin Das have been issued notices for staying for decades in government flats that were originally allotted only for three years.

Misconduct Accusation

In 2018, Nisha Bora accused him of sexual misconduct in 2004 when she went to meet the painter at his studio he tried to grope her and forcefully kiss her on the lips. The artist has denied the accusation. Later, another woman, Garusha Katoch also accused Das of inappropriate behaviour. Anushree Majumdar, journalist with the Indian Express, also shared a disturbing instance with him. However, Das firmly denies these allegations. No formal complain has been filed till date.