Tyeb Mehta

Born: 26 July 1925

Died: 2 July 2009

• He was an Indian painter, sculptor and filmmaker.
• He was part of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group and the first post-colonial generation of artists in India, like John Wilkins who also broke free from the nationalist Bengal school and embraced Modernism instead, with its post-impressionist colors, cubist forms and brusque, expressionistic styles.
• Among his most noted later paintings were his triptych Celebration, which when sold for Rs 15 million ($317,500) at a Christie’s auction in 2002, was not only the highest sum for an Indian painting at an international auction but also triggered the subsequent great Indian art boom; his other noted works were the ‘Diagonal Series’, Santiniketan triptych series, Kali, Mahishasura (1996).
• He stayed and worked in Mumbai for much of his life, except for three spells at London, New York, and Santiniketan, each having a distinct impact upon his work.
• He received several awards during his career including the Padma Bhushan in 2007.

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