Kalyan Joshi

Born into a family of artists in 1969 in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Kalyan Joshi carries a 700+ year old lineage of Phad art on his shoulders. Under the aegis of his father and guru Shrilal Joshi, Kalyan ji started painting at the age of 8. The Joshi family were part of the very few artist communities who were the preservers of the Indian tradition of Phad art.

A commerce graduate by education, it was the passion for the art that drove Joshiji to keep practicing this art and ensure it is embraced by younger generations as well. His work features bold and vibrant colours true to the artform and depictions which range from the traditional composition of the epic of Pabuji and Devnarayan to stories that are not traditionally depicted as well such as those from Ramayana and Mahabharata. He even began making smaller paintings to make Phad more accessible to modern-day appreciators of art and experimented with line drawing,montage, collage etc. Some of his non-traditional compositions include the entire illustrated text of Hanuman Chalisa; Panchatantra stories and even a Phad style illustration of the COVID-19 pandemic. While his compositions bear modern and contemporary themes, the essence of Phad remains intact in the storytelling, character design and vibrant shades of yellow, red and white.

Joshi is not just a practitioner but also plays the lead in the preservation and expansion of the artform. As the founder of the Ankan Kala Sansthan he taught children the art of Phad and organized numerous exhibitions in his hometown. Currently, he heads the Chitrashala studio established by his father. Here he teaches students, many of whom have now begun practicing professionally.

With recognition from far and wide Joshi remains one of the pioneers of traditional arts of India and has also exhibited in various programmes and organizations across the globe