CM Fadnavis Congratulates Three Maharashtra Artists on Lalit Kala Akademi National Award
Synopsis
Three Maharashtra artists — Ramesh Thorat, Siddharth Shingade, and Pritam Devaskar — received the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award from President Draupadi Murmu at the 65th National Exhibition of Art and 3rd Print Biennale India. CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated the trio.
Key Takeaways
Three Maharashtra artists — Ramesh Thorat, Siddharth Shingade, and Pritam Devaskar — won the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award on 21 October 2026.
The awards were presented by President Draupadi Murmu at a joint ceremony for the 65th National Exhibition of Art and 3rd Print Biennale India .
Ramesh Thorat was honoured for the oil painting 'Untitled – II' ; Siddharth Shingade for the mixed-media work 'Trees' ; Pritam Devaskar for the printmaking piece 'Of Time and the City' .
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis extended formal congratulations via the CMO's official platform.
The Lalit Kala Akademi , founded in 1954 , is India's apex autonomous body for the promotion of fine arts under the Ministry of Culture.
Three artists from Maharashtra walked away with the country's most prestigious honour in visual arts on Wednesday, 21 October 2026 — receiving the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award directly from President Draupadi Murmu at a joint ceremony marking the 65th National Exhibition of Art and the 3rd Print Biennale India. The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has extended his heartfelt congratulations to all three honourees.
The Three Artists and Their Honoured Works
The Maharashtra contingent at the ceremony was a sweep of mediums. Ramesh Thorat was recognised for his oil painting titled 'Untitled – II'. Siddharth Shingade received the award for 'Trees', a work created in mixed media. Pritam Devaskar earned the honour for 'Of Time and the City', executed in printmaking — a fitting win at an event that doubled as the nation's marquee printmaking biennale.
The CMO's post in Marathi described the moment as an 'abhimanaspad kshan' — a moment of immense pride — and called it a 'national honour for Maharashtra's artistic talent.'
What the Lalit Kala Akademi Represents
The Lalit Kala Akademi, established in 1954 as an autonomous body under India's Ministry of Culture, is the country's apex institution for the promotion of fine arts. Its National Award is among the oldest and most coveted recognitions available to Indian visual artists, conferred annually at the National Exhibition — a platform that has introduced generations of Indian artists to the national stage.
The award being presented by President Draupadi Murmu — the 15th President of India and the first from a tribal community to hold the office — added particular weight to the ceremony. Her presence underscored the cultural significance the Union government places on the event.
Maharashtra's Place in India's Contemporary Art Landscape
Indian state governments routinely amplify national cultural honours won by their residents, and Maharashtra's art community has long held a strong foothold in contemporary Indian visual arts — spanning painting, printmaking, and mixed media. For Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who returned to the post in 2023 after a previous tenure from 2014 to 2019, publicly celebrating artists from the state is consistent with the broader cultural-pride messaging his administration has championed.
Three artists, three mediums, one state — Maharashtra's showing at the 65th National Exhibition is a reminder that the most enduring statements a government can make about a region's identity are sometimes made not with policy, but with a canvas, a press, and a brush.
Point of View
Reinforcing regional identity alongside harder development metrics. For the Fadnavis administration, celebrating artists across mediums — oil, mixed media, printmaking — projects an inclusive cultural vision at a time when Maharashtra's political landscape remains competitive. More broadly, President Murmu's presence at the ceremony reflects the Union government's ongoing effort to lend constitutional prestige to India's federal arts institutions. Whether state governments follow up such public felicitations with substantive support — residencies, funding, platforms — for award-winning artists is the question the applause rarely answers.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three Maharashtra artists who won the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award in 2026?
The three Maharashtra artists honoured are Ramesh Thorat (for the oil painting 'Untitled – II'), Siddharth Shingade (for the mixed-media work 'Trees'), and Pritam Devaskar (for the printmaking piece 'Of Time and the City').
What is the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award?
The Lalit Kala Akademi National Award is India's most prestigious recognition in the visual arts, conferred by the Lalit Kala Akademi — an autonomous body established in 1954 under the Ministry of Culture — at the annual National Exhibition of Art.
Who presented the Lalit Kala Akademi awards in 2026?
President Draupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India, presented the awards at the joint ceremony for the 65th National Exhibition of Art and the 3rd Print Biennale India.
What is the 65th National Exhibition of Art?
The National Exhibition of Art is an annual showcase organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi to promote contemporary Indian visual art. The 65th edition was held in 2026 alongside the 3rd Print Biennale India.
What did CM Devendra Fadnavis say about the Maharashtra artists' awards?
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated all three artists through the Chief Minister's Office, calling their recognition a moment of immense pride and a national honour for Maharashtra's artistic talent.
