According to Sangram Majumdar, he never made the conscious decision to become an artist—it was just a natural calling.

Creative since childhood, the Kolkata-born painter—who is an associate professor in Painting + Drawing at the University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design—attended the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, 1999) and Indiana University (MFA, 2001). His recent work seems to hover between the abstract and figurative, suggesting a tension between the emotional realm and the physical world, a liminal space where people aren’t tied down by absolutes or certainties. Saturated in color, they burst with energy and life, and the flicker of familiarity distorted—is that a hand, a bloom, a figure walking—adds a moment of grounding wrapped in uncanny beauty. 

Starting June 3, Sangram’s work will be on display in a group show, Agents of Change, celebrating the finalists of the 2026 Neddy Artist Award. Funded by the Behnke Foundation in honor of the life and work of Seattle painter and teacher Robert E. [Ned] Behnke, the Neddy is the longest-running annual award program for visual artists in Washington. As the overall winner in the painting category, Sangram is one of two artists receiving a $30,000 award, the amount set in honor of the award’s 30th anniversary.

Sangram Majumdar’s work can be viewed at the 2026 Neddy Artist Award Exhibition, Agents of Change, running June 3 through September 12 at the Behnke Family Gallery at Cornish College of the Arts. 

Hometown

Kolkata and New York

Discipline

Painting

Favorite Spot in Seattle

The Dark Room in Greenwood

Describe Your Work in Three Words.

Layered. Chromatic. Bodily.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I don’t think there was ever a specific moment; rather I have always done it and have had the privilege to stick with it over time.

Where do you find inspiration?

While reading the news, walking around the city, listening to a podcast, catching a glimpse of something while driving, talking with people, and of course looking at art and pouring over art history, the list keeps going.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a few different ideas under the general umbrella of the monster and the monstrous, moving between characters, actions and environments. 

When is your next show, installation, publication, etc.?

My exhibition, Bad Actors, just finished its run in Mumbai, and is opening in New Delhi on May 29 with Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke.

What draws you to your particular medium?

I am interested in working with oils because it responds to the body in a very visceral and physical manner. I also love that this medium brings a lot of baggage with it, so it’s fun to lean into it.

Tell us about your proudest moment as an artist.

One of my most recent proudest moments was exhibiting my work for the first time in India. Having grown up there, it felt very much like a homecoming. 

Share one piece of advice you wish you knew when you were first starting out.

Find people that you feel a connection to, but also those that help push and challenge your ideas, and reach out to your peers and support them.

Thoughts on the current art market?

It’s complicated, and worth remembering that market is driven by mechanisms that may or may not coincide with an artist’s intentions. Also, there are many art markets.

What has been the biggest industry change you’ve noticed since the start of your career?

The industry is always changing, but I think social media has dramatically changed our understanding of an artwork, especially if it’s meant to be experienced not only on a phone.

What do you still hope to accomplish?

I think one of the best things about being an artist is that there is always more to do, to see, to imagine and to learn. 

If you weren’t making art, what would you be doing?

Probably all the things that I avoid doing while I am making art.