Dr. Shiv Nath Ram, born in Chauki, Uttar Pradesh, 1951 is a retired professor of painting from the Banaras Hindu University. He graduated with an MFA in Painting from BHU in 1978, a BFA in 1976 and doctorate in Painting in 2006. His work portrays his encounters of the common man in and around his district. 

Ram iterates himself as a “Lokchitrakar”
or a people’s painter, who practices people painting, as a means of telling stories of emancipatory aesthetics traversing India’s modern history since it became a Republic in 1951. The works are characterized as mixed media presentations illustrated on paper with pencil and at times watercolour. His art comes across as accessible in its form; poetic and deeply symbolic. The work originates from an honesty, it is a clear celebration of overcoming the travesties of caste, exploitation and determination. His people paintings propose deep hope, happiness and emancipation. The aesthetic language finds its sources from its own surroundings thus presenting a credible argument for change. He paints his people and paints for them.  

The artist lives and works in