Born 1945 in New Delhi, Jai Zharotia has a rich ouvre to his credit, extending from drawing, printmaking, acrylic on canvas and terracotta, to poetry and the written word in Hindi. Hailing from a family of Rajasthani artisans, he studied fine arts at the Delhi College of Art, where he returned to retire in 2005 as the head of the painting department. 

Zharotia spent his early years working for the Patriot magazine, where his quick witted, dry sense of humour reflected through his illustrations in pen and ink. The political commentary that he developed through these found new voice in his work as an independent artist, expressing itself in his art and sculpture and finding voice through the silence and the void. His work draws inspiration from western modernist artists, without losing touch with the Indian context and its concerns. 

Zharotia has exhibited his work in numerous solo and group shows across the country and on the global stage. His work has earned him numerous accolades- he was, for instance, awarded twice awarded the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1979 & 1980) and the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award (1983). His work is represented in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi, the Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi and the Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi.