Haku Shah (1934-2019) was born in Valod, Gujarat, and trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. An artist, anthropologist, and educator, his practice was deeply informed by his engagement with rural and tribal communities, particularly in western India.

His work is characterised by a spare, direct visual language, often featuring simplified figures, animals, and symbolic forms, drawing from folk and indigenous traditions. Beyond painting, Shah’s research and documentation of tribal art played a significant role in bringing these practices into wider recognition.

He is regarded as an important figure in Indian art for bridging contemporary practice with vernacular traditions, combining artistic production with cultural scholarship.