Rajesh Chaitya Vangad (b. 1975; Ganjad, Maharashtra) is an artist whose practice is rooted in the Warli painting tradition. His practice was shaped by early training from his mother, Ladhki Devi, and later mentorship under the pioneering artist Jivya Soma Mashe. Rooted in inherited knowledge yet marked by sustained innovation, Vangad approaches the Warli painting tradition not as a fixed form but as a living, evolving framework.

Drawing upon the Warli worldview, Vangad’s work explores the interconnectedness of forests, land, labour, ritual, and collective memory. His intricate monochromatic compositions reimagine traditional Warli iconography through contemporary narratives that reflect on environmental stewardship, sustainable ways of living, and the relationship between humans and the natural world. Alongside painting and drawing, his practice extends to large-scale murals, public art commissions, and collaborative projects that bring the Warli painting tradition into dialogue with contemporary public and institutional spaces.

Vangad has participated in major international exhibitions and public platforms, including The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection, presented by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in collaboration with Christie’s at Christie’s King Street, London (2026); the Diriyah Biennale (Riyadh, 2026); documenta 14 (Kassel, 2017); Prospect.4 (New Orleans, 2017); and the Moscow Biennale. His work has also been commissioned for prominent public sites including the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, New Delhi; the T2 International Terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai; the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi; and Wall Art Festivals organized by the Japan Foundation in India and Japan. Through these landmark exhibitions and public commissions, Vangad has contributed to expanding the presence of the Warli painting tradition across international exhibitions and public spaces.

A significant aspect of Vangad’s practice is his long-standing collaboration with artist Gauri Gill. Together they developed Fields of Sight, an ongoing body of work in which Gill’s photographs are transformed through Vangad’s intricate Warli interventions, creating layered narratives that bridge indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary photographic practice. The collaborative project has been exhibited internationally and has played an important role in bringing the Warli painting tradition into contemporary global discourse. Vangad is the recipient of the Ojas Art Award (2019). His works are held in major public and private collections including the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; Tate Modern, London; the Museum of Art & Photography, Bengaluru; Sarmaya Arts Foundation; the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi; and Ishara Art Foundation, UAE.

Through painting, murals, public art, and collaborative projects, Vangad continues to expand the visual and conceptual language of the Warli painting tradition while sustaining its deep connections to community, ecology, and cultural memory.