Devraj Dakoji, born in 1944 to a family of Ayurveda Practitioners, was influenced heavily by the landscapes of his hometown of Hyderabad, India. After graduating from the College of Fine Arts and Architecture in Hyderabad in 1965, he pursued further education in printmaking at M.S. University of Baroda, Chelsea School of Arts in London, and the Tamarind Institute in New Mexico. He was appointed as Chief Supervisor of Graphic Studios, Deptartment of Art, Garhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1977 and Commissioner and jury member for the 2nd Graphic International Print Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal in 1991. In the early 1990s, he delved into teaching and managing international portfolios at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. He eventually co-founded Atelier 221, a printmaking studio in Delhi, with his wife, Prathibha. Devraj’s involvement with the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Program has spanned three decades, where he teaches, curates exhibitions, and collaborates as a Master Printer with renowned artists such as Chakaia Booker, MF Husain, and Juan Sanchez.
In this excerpt, Devraj reflects on how Blackburn kept a watchful and caring eye on the printers in the studio. He also shares how his collaborative work with artists influenced his approach to chine collé and the way he teaches lithography today.
