Dhanraj Sagar Shelke is a world-renowned painter and a favorite of Bollywood celebrities, industrialists, and many other renowned personalities in India. He was recently awarded a Doctorate degree in Business Administration by California Public University, USA for his contribution to the art industry and making it more organized.
Despite being a topper from Bharti Vidhyapeeth in Finance & HR specialization, Dhanraj chose to follow his heart and pursue his passion for making oil portraits in 18 K & 24 K Carat Gold. His great-grandfather, Mr. Mahadevrao Mistari Shelke, was an inventor and artist who contributed his invention of coal-powered cars and truck engines during World War -II.
Although Dhanraj’s family business is in real estate and multiplex, he received unwavering support from his family in fulfilling his wish to become an artist. He learned this art from a national award-winning artist Mohanrav Ganpatrao Wadangekar from Maharashtra, who gave him knowledge for free, seeing his dedication and innovative approach. Despite being rejected five times by many prominent art institutes to study the art, Dhanraj’s love for this innovative art made him successful.
Dhanraj’s interest in drawing has helped him immensely since childhood. He studied extensively on YouTube to learn more about this art in detail and spent 11 years mastering it. Today, he employs over 80 artists and owns an exclusive art gallery of a 20,000 sqft area with an in-house art and graphic studio where they work in all art forms like hyperplastic paintings, Sculpture, 3d printing, graphics, large installations, etc.
With the belief that art is for everyone and not just for the rich, this 26-year-old artist is loved by all art lovers. His work is available both in India and abroad and on online platforms such as Etsy, Google, Fine Art America, etc. He loves to mix 24 K gold plating with crystals, metals, gems, diamonds, etc., on the portrait to create unique masterpieces.
Dhanraj has made portraits for many Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and Mahesh Manjrekar, to name a few. His work has been exhibited in many prominent world exhibitions such as the Tokyo International Art Fair, etc. Dhanraj’s success is a testament to the fact that if one has passion and perseverance, one can achieve their dreams and make a mark in the world.