SHAMBHU ACHARYA
Shambhu Acharya’s practice is rooted in the centuries-old tradition of patachitra (scroll painting), preserving one of Bangladesh’s oldest forms of narrative folk art. A master draughtsman, he creates intricately detailed scrolls inspired by the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the legends of Sri Krishna, Muharram narratives, and a wide range of regional folklore. While remaining faithful to the visual language of the patua tradition, his works embody a living cultural practice that continues to transmit collective memory, storytelling, and spiritual heritage across generations.
Born in Munshiganj in 1954, Shambhu Acharya comes from a distinguished lineage of traditional artists. His father, Shudhir Chandra Acharya, was a patua, while his mother, Kamola Bala Acharya, was an accomplished alpana painter. As the ninth-generation artist of a family that has practiced patachitra for over four centuries, he inherited both the techniques and the cultural responsibility of sustaining this endangered art form. At a time when the rural social and economic structures that once supported scroll painting have largely disappeared, Acharya has remained dedicated to preserving and advancing this unique artistic legacy.
Acharya has exhibited his works in Bangladesh and internationally, including at Spitz Gallery in London. In 2021, he presented a duet exhibition with Abdus Shakoor Shah at Edge Gallery, bringing traditional scroll painting into dialogue with contemporary artistic practice.
His works are held in important public and private collections in Bangladesh and abroad, and continue to be sought after by collectors for their artistic excellence and enduring contribution to the preservation of Bangladesh’s rich folk heritage.
Major Accolades:
Kunming Museum Memento, China (2007)
Shanghai Museum Memento, China (2008)
Osaka Setouchi Museum Memento, Japan (2013)
Chetona 71 Sommanona, Bangladesh (2009)
Munsiganj Charukola Sangsad Award, Munsiganj, Bangladesh (2016)
Jatiyo Robindra Sangit Sommilon Parishad Gunijon Sommanona (2017)
Shilpakala Padak, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (2019, 2022)
