Vijay Sharma

Vijay Sharma is an Indian painter and art historian, known for his expertise in the Pahari school of miniature painting. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.

Biography I started visiting the museum at the age of 13 and the museum stories amazed me every other day. Fine paintings done with hands and that too by the local artists were a revelation for me. I inquired about artists, their families but sadly they had given up painting long ago. They were carpenters, labourers, government officials, everything but not painters., says Vijay Sharma. His father, a bus driver working for Himachal Road Transport Corporation, noticed his son's penchant for drawing and sent the boy to Banares to learn painting, when he was only 15. He has also participated in many artist workshops such as the NZCC All India miniature painting workshop at Kalagram, Chandigarh in 2006, the Janapravaha artist workshop of 2005, workshop organized by the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata in 2007, miniature camp in connection with the Gita Jayanti Utsav of 2008, miniature camp held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla in 2009, camp organized by Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur in 2011 and Harmony Painting Residency 2012 organized by Harmony Art Foundation, Mumbai. an NGO working for the revival of Indian arts and crafts.

Vijay Sharma is married to Neeru Sharma and the couple has two sons, Sarang and Maitreya. The family lives in Mohalla Ramgarh near Dasnami Akhara in Chamba.

Awards and recognitions Vijay Sharma received the Himachal Pradesh state award in 1980 for his ragamala paintings followed by the award from the Ministry of Textiles in 1990. All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society awarded him their annual AIFACS Award in 1997 and Sharma received the Kalidas Samman in 2011. in 2012, the Government of India included him in the Republic Day honours list for the award of Padma Shri.

In 2013, Himachal Pradesh University awarded him the honorary doctorate. This Kangra painting by Mr. Vijay Sharma was painted for the famous lyricist Gulzar Sahib and represents the song "mora gora ang layi le" (Film : Bandini)