Jamini Roy (1887-1972) was born in Beliatore, Bengal, and trained at the Government School of Art in Calcutta. Initially working in an academic style, he made a decisive shift in the 1920s toward a visual language inspired by Bengali folk traditions, particularly Kalighat painting.

Roy developed a distinctive style characterised by bold contours, flat areas of colour, and simplified forms, often depicting themes drawn from mythology, rural life, and devotional subjects. He also adopted indigenous materials and techniques, aligning his practice with a broader search for a modern Indian identity in art.

He is regarded as a pioneering figure in Indian modernism, notable for bringing folk aesthetics into the mainstream of contemporary artistic practice.