Chhatrapati Dutta is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist whose practice deeply engages with the layered complexities of colonial and post-colonial identity, caste and class dynamics, consumer culture, and hybrid realities. Rooted in the evolving urban fabric of Kolkata, his art reflects on the socio-political shifts that define modern India, weaving together personal memories with collective histories from both local and global perspectives.
Dutta’s approach to art-making is grounded in experimentation. His body of work—spanning drawing, painting, collage, and installation—is rich in symbolism and conceptual depth. By reworking material forms and media, he creates immersive compositions that blend elements of print culture, cultural iconography, and individual narrative.His art often explores the role of the self in a rapidly globalizing world, where identities remain fluid and perpetually evolving.
A proponent of "making as process," Dutta embraces the evolving nature of form and meaning in his creative journey. He is a founding member of Khoj Kolkata, and has actively participated in a wide range of national and international art workshops, symposia, and exhibitions. His intellectual engagement also extended to journalism—he contributed regularly to the Hindustan Times (Kolkata edition) for over five years, offering cultural commentary and critique.
Academically, Dutta earned his Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata in 1987. He pursued postgraduate studies at the National University of Athens, Greece (1988), and later obtained his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. In 2017, he was appointed as the Principal of the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, further cementing his role as a significant figure in Indian art education.His work has been showcased in a wide range of exhibitions both within India and internationally. Highlights include solo presentations at Tamarind Art Gallery, New York (2008), and participation in critically acclaimed group exhibitions such as Art of Young Bengal and Agony & Ecstasy at Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata.
