Born into a family of hereditary painters tracing back to the 13th century, Kalyan Joshi (b. 1969) is a contemporary master of the Phad painting tradition of Rajasthan. These monumental paintings depict the deeds and adventures of deified medieval folk heroes Pabuji, Dev Narayan and Ramdevji. Measuring up to five feet in height and thirty five feet in length, they function as a visual backdrop during all night performances against which their stories are performed through song, music and recitation. While the Joshis paint the Phads, it is the Bhopas, who perform and narrate the stories by illuminating different sections of the painting, highlighting each episode of the epic and guiding the audience through the narrative. The epic recitation is believed to possess healing powers with devotees calling upon the bhopa in both times of crisis and as acts of thanksgiving.
Characterised by repeated figural types, flat, unmodulated backgrounds, and a bold, saturated palette, Kalyan Joshi’s work retains the clarity and narrative clarity essential to phad, where scale, gesture, and repetition guide the viewer through complex storytelling. While maintaining this ritual and formal structure, he also explores contemporary storytelling, modern line work, and new thematic subjects. His artistic practice engages with contemporary social, environmental, and educational themes. Works such as Global Warming (IIM Ahmedabad) and Water Conservation (IDC, IIT Mumbai; Dalmia Bharat Foundation) address urgent ecological concerns. In School Games & Activities (Azim Premji University, Bengaluru), he depicts a range of traditional and modern sports, while narrative works like COVID-19 Story (National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne) and Story of Migration of Labour (British Museum, London; Glasgow Museums) document the pandemic and its social impact.
Kalyan Joshi is the founder of the Ankan Artist Group, through which he has conducted more than two hundred workshops across India, collaborating with schools and SPICMACAY to promote awareness of phad painting among younger audiences. His studio, Chitrashala, serves as a centre for both creation and training, sustaining traditional techniques while encouraging experimentation.
Over his career, Joshi has exhibited internationally, including at the Musée du Quai Branly (Paris), Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), School of Art & Design, Syracuse University (New York), London Craft Week and numerous festivals in Kuwait, Dubai, Spain, the UK, Australia, Central America, and Hong Kong. His paintings are in the collection of the British Museum, London and a 20 feet x 14 feet mural, tree of life in Swami Vivekanand cultural center Paris, France (2025). His contributions have been recognized with multiple awards, including the National Award (2010), the National Merit Award (2006), the Gauri Shankar Mehta Award (2008), the International Craft Revivalist of the Year Award (2021), and the Raja Ravi Varma Award (2023).
