Tushar Joag (1966- 2018)

On Monday, December 17th, ‘Artists Unite’ issued a statement signed by 450 Indian painters, writers and filmmakers warning that “democracy is not a majoritarian project to identify enemies and enforce uniformity of language, behavior and culture”. It added, “Democracy is the celebration of a collective will for peace, of living together with dignity and equality.” It had been Joag who had helped assemble this forum together. And the next day, on 18th, he passed away.


Born in Mumbai in 1966, Joag finished his Bachelors in Fine Art in 1988 from the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai. He later completed his Masters from the M.S. University, Baroda in 1990. Other than participating in a number of national and international exhibitions, he also curated many international events, screenings and exhibitions. Joag had also been one of the co-founders of the artist collective Open Circle that sought to engage with contemporary socio-political issues.