Vijay Sharma is an art historian and art critic. He is widely recognised as a fine miniature painter and has travelled extensively in India and abroad, giving lecture demonstrations on the techniques of Pahari painting. His keen interest in riti genre of Hindi poetry and Indian classical music helps him understand the nuances of Ragamala paintings. He has co-authored several books and research articles, the notable ones being The Temple of Devi-Kothi; Love for Pleasure; Vision of an Enlightened King (ed.); Pahari Paintings of an Ancient Romance: The Love Story of Usha-Aniruddha and Painted Words: Kangra Paintings of Matiram’s Rasraj. He has also written Kangra ki Chitrankan Parampara (in Hindi). Vijay Sharma is the recipient of several awards, including National Award of Master Craftsman in Basohli Painting in 1990 and Padma Shri in 2012. At present, he works as Senior Artist in the Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba, in Himachal Pradesh.