Tyeb Mehta Biography 
Tyeb Mehta was a noted Indian painter and a member of Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which included great Indian artist like F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F. Husain. His most noted painting was his ‘Triptych Celebration’, which when sold for Rs 1.5 crore in 2002. It was the highest sum for an Indian painting at an international auction and started a great Indian art boom. 'Diagonal Series', Santiniketan triptych series, Kali and Mahishasura are his other noted works.
Tayyab Mehta was born on 26 September 1925 in Kapadvanj, Kheda district of Gujarat. Riots during India-Pakistan partition in 1947 was one of the influential factors behind this artist’s origin. He witnessed a man being stoned to death by a mob and made a lasting impact on his work. Initially he worked as a film editor in a cinema laboratory at Famous Studios, Mumbai for a short period. Following his diploma from Sir J.J. School of Art in 1952, he became a member of Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which was inspired with Western Modernism. He left India in 1959 and stayed in London till 1964. He was influenced by the expressionist works of Francis Bacon during this period. Then he shifted to New York, where he was awarded the Rockefeller Fellowship in 1968.
He made a three minute film, Koodal in Tami, shot at Bandra slaughter house which won the Filmfare Critics Award in 1970. He served as Artist-in-Residence at the Santiniketan during the period, 1984–85. After that when he returned to Mumbai, his works noticed some significant changes. He was always fascinated with common themes like trussed bulls and the rickshaw puller and from here he moved to the 'Diagonal series', a distinct style developed in 1969. His mythological works like ‘Kali and demon Mahishasura’ made him a popular artist.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 08, 2014
