DEV CHANDRA
Artist
About Me
Chandra Kesh, also known as Dev Chandra, is an emerging artist whose evocative mountain landscapes resonate with his profound and lifelong connection to nature. Born on May 3, 1993, in Mungra Badshahpur, a district of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, his passion for painting emerged in Childhood and eventually led him to the prestigious Faculty of Visual Arts at Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.), where he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014.
After graduation, life took him to Mumbai in search of financial stability. Immersed in the commercial art world as a graphic designer, he honed his visual vocabulary and technical finesse. Yet, his heart remained anchored to painting. Once stability was achieved, he returned to his true vocation with renewed purpose—allowing the memories and stories of his grandmother to guide his artistic journey.
A transformative chapter in his career began with his mountain expeditions. Deeply inspired by the life and vision of Nicholas Roerich, Dev Chandra discovered serenity in the ever-changing grandeur of the mountains. The shifting hues, silent valleys, and vast skies became both muse and meditation. These experiences led him to explore not only nature’s beauty but also its vulnerability, while preserving the ancestral memories that had shaped his own life. His canvases began to reflect the delicate impermanence of paradise—a fleeting world poised between resilience and fragility. Integral to his artistic awakening was the storytelling of his grandmother, whose narratives wove memory, heritage, and emotion into his work. The landscapes he paints are more than mere places; they are vessels of remembrance—repositories of ancestors, histories, and the subtle feelings that bind the human spirit to the earth.
Today, Dev Chandra continues to evolve as an artist, balancing introspection with observation. His paintings are tributes to the timeless beauty of nature, while also serving as meditations on its transience. In his work, time, memory, and transformation converge—whispering that what we inherit must be cherished, for it is always in the process of becoming something new.
Artist Statement
My artistic journey has been a pilgrimage through the Himalayas, a path where the act of traveling transforms into a living philosophy— vivid, self-aware, and beyond imagination. The mountains are more than landscapes; they are mirrors, teachers, and sanctuaries.
Each step through towering peaks, silent valleys, and endless horizons evokes a spectrum of emotions—fear, hope, courage, prayer, solitude—and invites introspection into the mysteries of past, present, and future. Childhood memories, especially the stories of my grandmother, are woven into my work. Her tales of the mountains, of nature as sacred and alive, have shaped my understanding of the world and my place within it. These recollections flow into my canvases, where mountains are not merely geography but vessels of memory, heritage, and the human spirit.
My paintings harbor symbolism and layers of memory. Every color, form, and brushstroke carries the resonance of lived experience. Small personal elements—a house nestled in the vast mountains, my grandmother’s home—anchor these works in intimate history, connecting the ephemeral present with enduring ancestral echoes.
Each canvas becomes a meditation, a prayer, and a bridge between the seen and the unseen, the fleeting and the eternal. For me, art is not merely creation but remembrance, reverence, and reflection—a practice of preserving both nature’s fragile grandeur and the delicate, luminous fragments of memory that define our being.
Dev Chandra
Education
2014-2015
BRDS, Ahmedabad
BRDS is a well-known design institution in Ahmedabad, where I practiced and explored how design works in everyday life. During this course, I studied design principles with a focus on form, function, and functionality. This experience helped me understand how artistic expression and design thinking complement each other, enabling me to bridge the gap between the two disciplines.
2010-2014
Visual arts, B.H.U
I completed my graduation in Visual Arts at Banaras Hindu University, specializing in Painting as my major subject. My academic journey provided me with a strong foundation in both traditional and contemporary art practices. I gained in-depth knowledge of drawing, portraiture, and figure studies, along with an understanding of lifestyle and cultural representations in art. The program also nurtured my skills in art history, aesthetics, and creative expression, helping me develop both technical expertise and a critical perspective on visual arts.
2007-2009
C.A.V Inter College, Alld.
I studied at C.A.V. Inter College, a science-focused intermediate college located in Civil Lines, Prayagraj (Allahabad), India. The college offers offline instruction for students in grades 11 and 12. I completed my 11th and 12th grades there with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as my core subjects.
Work Experiance
2015-2017
TGEH, Mumbai
Junior Designer
The Great Eastern Home, located in Byculla, South Mumbai, is a premier luxury destination for interiors and fine living. Renowned for its antiques, vintage collectibles, handcrafted furniture, fine art, and home décor, it provided me with the perfect platform to begin my professional journey. I started there as a Junior Graphic Designer, and after two years of dedicated work, I was promoted to Lead Designer.
2017-2019
Ficus Fine Living
Lead Designer
Ficus Fine Living, a Mumbai-based modern and contemporary home décor company, gave me the opportunity to deepen my expertise in design and branding. As a Senior Designer, my focus was on developing a cohesive design language, working on core concepts, and strengthening the brand’s visual identity. My role involved blending aesthetics with functionality to reflect the company’s vision of contemporary fine living.
2019-2021
Nine Fish Art Gallery
Concept & Exhibition Designer
Nine Fish Art Gallery, based in Mumbai, is a modern and contemporary space dedicated to promoting young artists alongside established masters of India. As a Concept Exhibition Designer, I was responsible for designing the gallery’s shows, developing exhibition formats, and creating engaging visual narratives. My role also included working closely with the management team and curator on artist promotion, ensuring each exhibition reflected both artistic vision and curatorial direction.
2021-2023
Dev Chandra Designs
Founder
Dev Chandra Designs, based in Mumbai, is a modern and contemporary design firm that provides bespoke design solutions across India, with a focus on paintings, prints, and wallpapers. Through market research and industry experience, I identified a gap between market demand and design value. This led me to start my own venture, where I combine my expertise in art and design to offer innovative solutions that bridge this gap.
2023-2025
Independent art Practice
Artist
After experiencing periods of overthinking and pressure, I returned to my roots through my independent art practice. Over the last two years, I have devoted time to traveling, writing, and painting—refilling myself with creativity and reconnecting with my originality. In parallel, DC Designs has successfully led several noteworthy projects, delivering innovative design solutions and bespoke creations for clients. The studio remains committed to its core values, never compromising on design quality or client satisfaction.
Awards
2012
Visual Arts, B.H.U
Participated in the National Artists Camp, organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
2011-2014
Visual Arts, B.H.U
2012
Visual Arts, B.H.U
2011
Visual Arts, B.H.U
2015
UID, Ahmedabad
2011
Visual Arts, B.H.U
2011
Visual Arts, B.H.U
2011
Visual Arts, B.H.U
Awarded 1st Prize at Spandan, organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Mimicry competition at Spandan, organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Mimicry competition at Spandan, organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Heal the World competition at the University of Design (UID), Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Awarded 1st Prize in a Poster Making Competition organized as part of Elixir by the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Awarded 1st Prize in the Annual Art Exhibition organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Awarded 3rd Prize in the Expressions competition at Spandan, the annual art and cultural program organized by the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
2009
C A V Inter College
Awarded First Prize in an on-the-spot painting competition on the theme ‘Save Water’, organized by C.A.V. Inter College at Nani Bridge in association with Jal Nigam, Allahabad, and conducted by artist Brij Mohan Yadav.
Exhibition
2024
Himalayan Nights
2024
Art Atrium
2024
India Art Fesitval
2019
Art Atrium
2017
ART 35
2017
ART 35
2012
Group Show
The Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery - Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Acetech, NESCO goregaon, Mumbai.
India Art Festival, Nehru Centre Worli, Mumbai.
Acetech, NESCO goregaon, Mumbai.
Art 35 The Great Eastern Home, Mumbai.
Art 35 The Great Eastern Home, Mumbai.
Visual Arts Gallery, Banaras Hindu University.