At the age of 13, a young Rajaram Sharma entered the Nathdwara temple with only the desire to paint Pichwai’s and dedicate his life to it. Born in Bijolia, Rajasthan, Rajaram Sharma was introduced to Pichwai art at a very young age. After completing his early education, he took up the study of Pichwais and began his training. He says “I fell in love with the art form and at that time I didn’t think about what would happen in the future. I just knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Starting at a young age he undertook training from Shri Tulsidas ji following the Guru Shishya Parampara in the temple town of Nathdwara in Udaipur. For 13 years he remained the apprentice of Shri Tulsidas Chitrakar and then also trained under Shri B.G. Sharma, a leading Pichwai artist.

What started as a dream of dedicating one’s life into painting the deity and his many forms is now a notable career spanning more than 45 years. Rajaram ji is also a maestro of miniature painting and his paintings are intertwined with spirituality and Rajasthan's culture.

Sharma’s work is characterised by a soothing palette of colours - varying shades of blue and green, muted pinks and reds, a vibrant yet soothing yellow and lots of small details, which give something new for you to see, every time you look at a painting by Rajaram Sharma! All his work is done with traditional colours, mainly mineral pigments which require a lot of effort in preparing. From sourcing them, crushing them into fine powder, mixing in just the right amount of binders and then getting the consistency right - his expertise comes in handy to create the perfect pigments.

Rajaram ji’s work is known for its divine depiction of Shrinath ji in his various moods and traditional themes such as Gopashtami. He focuses on the value of bhakti in the Pushtimarga sect. The fine details, bright colours, and the numerous characters surrounding the deity or engaging in celebrations bring life to the painting. If one pays close attention, we can find tiny little parrots hiding under a Mango tree or Banana tree. Or numerous kinds of flowers and how they all come together to tell the tale of Shrinathji who is also known as the ‘baal roop’ of Shri Krishna i.e Lord Krishna at seven years old. The smiling face of the deity, big petal like eyes, with the lotus garland and a flute in hand - makes it impossible to not get lost in the magic of Pichwais. In artist Rajaram Sharma’s work there’s almost no negative space as many characters - both human or creatures of all kinds are placed closely but in perfect harmony.

When you meet Rajaram Sharma in person, his humility and pure passion for his work might be the first things you'd notice. A celebrated and globally recognized artist, Rajaram ji is truly devoted to his art and to the service of Shrinath ji. Its not just his work, but his humble and gracious persona that is reflective of it.

With decades of practice Rajaram ji has been honoured with many awards and honours. Winning the National Merit Certificate in 2016 and the All India Award of Traditional Art in 2010 are some of his notable honours. Rajaram Sharma's work also gained recognition internationally. He has exhibited his artwork in several prestigious galleries such as the Victoria Monroe Fine Art and The Drawing Room in New York. His work also features in several private and public collections such the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Davis Museum in Wellesley College and the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia to name a few.

Sharma’s work continues to find a home in the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara - the place where it all started.