Laxman Pai (1926-2021) was born in Margao, Goa, and studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai. He later spent time in Paris, where exposure to European modernism influenced the development of his visual language.

Pai’s work is known for its lyrical quality, combining figuration and landscape with a sensitive use of colour and line. Drawing from the environment and cultural rhythms of Goa, his paintings often evoke a sense of intimacy, memory, and place.

He is regarded as a significant figure in modern Indian art, particularly for his ability to synthesise local experience with broader modernist concerns.