Collection: Raghunath Jena

Born on 1986, Odisha, India, Raghunath Jena is a contemporary visual artist whose practice bridges personal emotion and social consciousness through a deeply humanistic lens. A graduate of Utkal University of Culture with a Master of Visual Arts (2014) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (2006), Jena currently serves as Head of the Fine Arts Department at VidyaGyan, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh.

His art unfolds as a visual dialogue on human experience—where memory, empathy, and social realities intertwine. Through semi-realistic forms and symbolic narratives, he explores themes of inequality, displacement, and urban solitude while also celebrating tender, personal moments such as fatherhood. Jena’s paintings move between the social and the intimate, between outer conflict and inner calm.

Working primarily in acrylic and mixed media, he combines surreal and symbolic elements with contemporary realism. His nuanced color palette—ranging from muted to radiant—mirrors emotional transitions and societal contrasts.

His works have been exhibited across India in Lalit Kala Akademi Lucknow, AIFACS New Delhi, Jawahar Kala Kendra Jaipur, and Balasore Art Gallery. Recipient of numerous awards including the Nagpur Lalitya National Award (2015) and Eastern Foundation of Art & Culture Award (2020), Jena continues to shape a visual language that invites introspection, empathy, and hope.