The relentless energy and restless spirit of this artist defined a significant chapter in Indian post-modernist painting. His obsession with horses, manifested in over 7,000 drawings created between 1950 and 1960, demonstrates a profound engagement with the animal’s form and essence. This intense focus shaped his early career and established a motif that would evolve through various stylistic transformations. A pivotal moment arrived in 1962 during a visit to Spain, where the raw power and drama of bullfighting infused his work with heightened emotional intensity and vigor, marking a new phase in his artistic journey.

His oeuvre spans nearly a dozen distinct phases, each revealing a restless experimentation with style and technique, yet unified by an unmistakable voice that distinguishes him within Indian contemporary art. His refusal to rely on photographs or posed models underscores a commitment to immediacy and authenticity. Beginning with raw sketches, he captured subjects stripped to their vital core, engaging directly with color, form, and movement. His words, describing his process as a “wrestle” of colors and shapes merging into harmony, reflect a dynamic balance between intellect and instinct. This duality informed his work’s rhythmic intensity and compositional cohesion.

Innovations in technique marked his practice, particularly his use of palms and fingers to apply paint, bypassing traditional brushes. This tactile involvement imbued his canvases with a palpable physicality and emotional rawness, qualities that became emblematic of his style. Such direct engagement with the medium lent a sense of urgency and presence, inviting viewers into an intimate encounter with the artist’s expressive gestures. His work charted new territory for Indian art, inspiring peers and successors alike to embrace bold, unconventional methods of expression. The artist’s legacy rests not only in the prolific volume of his output but in the fearless exploration of form and energy that continues to resonate. His paintings stand as vivid testimonies to a life devoted to artistic rigor, innovation, and an unwavering pursuit of emotional truth.