Jatin Das is a painter, poet, sculptor, muralist, printmaker, teacher, cultural expert, and Founder Chairman of the JD Centre of Art.

Born in December 1941 in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Das began his formal art education at the age of 17 at the Sir JJ School of Art, Bombay, under the mentorship of Prof. S.B. Palsikar. Since then, he has held over 71 solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, biennales, and artist camps, including the Venice and Tokyo Biennales.

Das works primarily in oil, watercolor, ink, and conté. He has created a vast range of sculptures, graphics, murals, and installations, and as a printmaker, he has produced many etchings, dry points, lithographs, and serigraphs. Over the years, he has also designed numerous postage stamps for the Philately Department. He is a member of the Poetry Society of India, New Delhi.

In 2012, Das was conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India, presented by the President of India. He has also been awarded honorary Doctor of Letters degrees by several universities, including Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. His works feature in numerous public and private collections across India and abroad and have been auctioned by major international auction houses.

One of his major works, The Journey of India: Mohenjo-Daro to Mahatma Gandhi (7x68 ft), is displayed at the Indian Parliament in New Delhi. It was inaugurated in 2001 by the then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Das has served as a visiting professor at various universities in India and abroad. In New Delhi, he taught at Jamia Millia Islamia University, the College of Art, and the School of Planning and Architecture. He has delivered talks at numerous prestigious institutions, including the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and Harvard University (USA), sharing his deep knowledge of both contemporary and traditional art forms. He has also served as an advisor to several governmental and private cultural organizations and has donated artworks in support of various charitable and social causes. Notably, he actively supported reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts following the 1999 super cyclone in Odisha.

Das’s lifelong commitment to preserving India’s diverse arts and crafts led to the founding of the JD Centre of Art. Currently under construction in Odisha, the Centre aims to bring together classical, modern, traditional, and folk art under one roof. Das has pledged to donate his personal collection, amassed over 40 years, including modern art, antiquities, handicrafts, handlooms, and art books, to the Centre. Among the highlights is a collection of over 6,000 pankhas (hand-fans), one of the largest private collections of its kind, with pieces exhibited in both national and international museums.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Jatin Das created a series of 200 ink paintings capturing the mass migration of labourers. Selected works were exhibited at Art Alive Gallery, Delhi, in a show titled Exodus 2020. In 2022, his one-man show Prakruti Purush was held at Archer Gallery in Ahmedabad and subsequently at Jehangir Art Gallery and Art & Soul in Mumbai. His most recent major exhibition took place this year at the Bihar Museum.