National Award-Winning Sculptor Chandrashekhar Shilpi Passes Away

Key facts

• Chandrashekhar Shilpi, a national award-winning sculptor, passed away on August 15, 2026, in Kalaburagi, Karnataka.
• He was admitted to a private hospital on August 13, 2026, with pneumonia and suffered a severe heart attack during treatment.
• He received the National Award for Master Craftspersons for 2024 from the Handicrafts Department under the Union Ministry of Textiles, presented by President Droupadi Murmu on December 9, 2025.
• He was known for preserving Kalyana Karnataka's sculptural heritage through traditional wood and stone carvings, and had trained under master craftsman Nadoja Naganna Monappa Badiger.
• He received the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy honorary award in 2012 and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2014, and served as a member of the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy from 1998 to 2001.