Hemant Rao (b. 1984, Raghogarh, Madhya Pradesh, India) is a self-taught visual artist working primarily with dry pastel medium and natural pigments on canvas and paper. He received the 60th National Academy Award from Lalit Kala Akademi (2019) and the Junior Artist Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India (2011–12). He was awarded the American Dream Fellowship at Art Omi, New York (2025), and the Exhibition Residency Award at Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Ireland (2026). He is currently represented by Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi.

His artistic journey began at Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal, where he worked at the community art studio between 2005 and 2010. His work has been exhibited at major platforms including India Art Fair (2024, 2022, 2020), with the 2024 edition presented at the BMW Collectors’ Lounge, as well as Art Mumbai (2024), Art of India by the Times of India Group at India Habitat Centre (2024), Busan International Art Fair, Seoul Art Festival, and the Bangkok Triennale.

His works are held in public and private collections, including Bihar Government Museum, Uttarayan Art Foundation, Triveni Museum, Silpakorn University, and Takshila Educational Society, as well as those of Francis J. Greenburger, Prayag Shukla, and Digvijaya Singh.