Shyamal Mukherjee (b. 1961, Khanpur, West Bengal) is a Kolkata-based artist who has lived and worked in the city throughout his life, rarely leaving except to exhibit his works. A graduate of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, with both BFA and MFA degrees, he is known for his vibrant and joyous paintings that celebrate the shared spirit of humanity.

At the heart of his practice lies the belief that, despite physical differences, people are united by common emotions and behaviors. This idea often takes shape in his depictions of pairs or groups of figures, emphasizing connection over separation. His art radiates the same optimism and warmth that defines his personality, transforming ordinary observations of daily life into playful, colorful compositions.

Mukherjee works primarily in reverse oil and acrylic on transparent acrylic sheets, a medium that lends durability and a unique luminosity to his images. His signature figures—plump, rotund characters with oversized rosy cheeks—evoke both humor and affection. Many appear as performers, dressed in flamboyant shades of orange, red, and green, their cartoon-like faces and adorned fingers recalling the theatricality of everyday human interactions. Drawing from the Bengal School’s figurative legacy while reinterpreting it in a contemporary idiom, Mukherjee captures the universal joie de vivre that binds us all.