Meet the Artist (MTA) is a permanent in-house program of JDCA, where invited artists, craft persons or scholars through their illustrated presentations create an appreciation of all forms of visual art. 

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Since 2001, such MTAs have taken place on the second Saturday of every month. 

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292 Meet the Artist 

Banshidhar Pratihary,

Artist

at  6:00 pm, Saturday, 

18 July 2026

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​About the Artist and the Talk

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Banshidhar Pratihary (born 1928) is an artist known for his mastery of traditional painting techniques including tempera, wash painting, watercolour, woodcut print and batik. A devoted practitioner of the Shantiniketan tradition, his works are inspired by the Ajanta frescoes and the Kalinga temple art of Konark, Lingaraj, Mukteshwar and Raja-Rani temples, reflecting a deep commitment to classical Indian aesthetics.

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Pratihary studied at MFA, Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan, where he earned his Degree in Fine Arts in 1958. He later served for nearly three decades as a designer and Senior Artist at the Upendra Maharathi Institute of Industrial Design, Patna. He collaborated with traditional and tribal artisans in the field of Dhokra, Madhubani painting, Textile printing, Applique and lacquered toys.

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His notable works include Radha (tempera), Durga (batik), Meera (wash painting), Lady with parakeet (painting on 22-carat gold foil) and Vinapani (woodcut print). He received the Odisha Lalit Kala Academy Award (1972), the Bihar State Award (1980) and the Dharmapada Award (2023) in recognition of his contribution to Indian art.

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