Born in Delhi in 1945, Jai Zharotia studied Fine arts from Delhi College of Arts from 1967-71. He became an art teacher at the Bal Bhavan before becoming a lecturer at Alma Mater in 1974. He then became a professor and head of the painting department at the same university in 2005. When seen in dept, a sense of duality pervades Zharotia's works- it works between the visible & the invisible, the apparent & the elusive, the conscious & the unconscious. The role that fate and circumstance played in his life convinced him that as an artist, he must include what lay beyond the conscious in his work. Therefore, the duality between experience and imagination became the main tool in the artist's visual vocabulary. A clown-like figure can repeatedly be seen in Zharotia's works with a cap that resembles a dunce cap. This figure, according to the artist depicts a common man in this huge world playing many parts and characters. The figure over time evolves into a female acrobat, dancing and bending in impossible ways.
Zharotia has received many awards such as the Lalit Kala Academy Award etc. His works have been acquired by institutions and private collections in and outside the country like the Alkazi Collection, KNMA and DAG Collection.
Jai Zharotia passed away in March 2021.