Paresh Maity

Paresh Maity (b. 1965, Tamluk, West Bengal) is one of India’s most celebrated contemporary artists, whose vibrant, multidimensional practice spans painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation, and filmmaking. Born in the historic riverside town of Tamluk, Maity’s earliest visual instincts were shaped by the natural beauty and colours of his surroundings, and by early encounters with art that stirred his lifelong pursuit of creative expression. He received his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata and a Master’s in Fine Arts from the College of Art, New Delhi, graduating top of his class and laying the foundation for a prolific artistic career.

Maity first gained recognition for his masterful watercolours—works of luminous colour and fluid light that earned him the reputation of one of India’s preeminent colourists—and he has since expanded his repertoire to include oil and acrylic painting, mixed media, monumental sculpture, and large-scale installation. His art draws on an expansive range of influences, from Indian landscapes, rituals, and cultural narratives to global travels across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, resulting in a body of work that bridges local experience with universal visual language.

Over nearly four decades, Maity has held over 80 solo exhibitions in major galleries, museums, and art fairs worldwide, including landmark presentations such as Infinite Light—a sweeping multi-genre exhibition that travelled across five major Indian cities—and has been featured in prestigious venues including the National Gallery of Modern Art and international galleries from London to New York. In 2010 he completed an iconic 850-foot mural at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, one of the longest paintings in the world, and in recent years his sculptural works have been installed in major public spaces and global biennales.

Maity’s work is represented in major public and private collections globally—including the British Museum (London), Rubin Museum of Art (New York), Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House, India), and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art—affirming his international standing. In recognition of his contributions to Indian art, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.

Based in New Delhi, Maity continues to innovate across media with a restless creative spirit, producing work that celebrates life, colour, landscape, and human experience, and inspiring audiences around the world with his expansive artistic vision.