Ram Kumar (1924-2018) was born in Shimla and initially studied economics before turning to art. He trained at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai and later in Paris, where exposure to European modernism influenced his practice.

Ram Kumar’s early works were figurative, often depicting urban alienation and the solitude of the individual. Over time, his practice shifted toward abstraction, particularly in his celebrated landscapes inspired by cities such as Varanasi, where form dissolves into layered planes and muted tonal fields.

He is regarded as a major figure in Indian modern art, known for his transition from figuration to abstraction and for developing a deeply introspective and atmospheric visual language.