6 famous Indian artists who put India on the global stage

When it comes to creativity, art, and culture, India sure has abundant blessings of Maa Saraswati. From Amrita Sher-Gil and her depictions of rural life, to SH Raza forming all creations across a ‘Bindu’, there are so many who did not just leave an impact on Indians who cherished art, but also paved the way for budding Indian artists on the global stage.
Here we mention 6 Indian artists who put India on the global stage through their exceptional talent and artistic contributions.

Raja Ravi Varma is known as the Father of Modern Indian Art and rightfully so. Anyone who looks at his art and paintings will simply fall in awe of his technique and the way he blew life into a simple white canvas.
Today, and even back in the day, Ravi Varma was famous for his ability to blend Indian themes with European techniques. The way he portrayed different characters of Hindu legends was considered to be one of the most controversial to some audiences and the most brilliant to others. His paintings like ‘Shakunthala’, ‘Lady under Moonlight’, and ‘Urvashi’ put him on the world stage.

(Image: Raja Ravi Varma/Facebook)

Tyeb Mehta was another prominent figure in the Indian modern art movement. His work is famous for its bold use of colour, abstract forms, and deep emotions that he tried to convey. Mehta's journey as an artist was shaped by his early experiences in Mumbai, where he worked as a film editor before turning to painting full-time.
Mehta's one of the most famous and iconic works is ‘Mahishasura’ where he draws the story of the demon Mahishasura and the goddess Durga. The two figures are entangled into each other, as if in a deep, serious fight, and the world looks at them to see who emerges victorious.

(Image: Tyeb Mehta/Website)

Maqbool Fida Husain, famously known as MF Husain, is one of the most iconic and controversial Indian artist of the 20th century. Husain is still known as the ‘Picasso of India’, for his work and technique was extremely similar to Picasso and yet had a distinct touch to it which made him known far and wide.
It is said that Madhuri Dixit was MF Husain's biggest muse.

(Image: mfhusain/Instagram)

Another famous Indian artist, referred to as the Frida Kahlo of India, was Amrita Sher-Gil. She was born to a Hungarian mother and a Sikh father, and her family was the primary factor of her being so connected to India and portraying India’s art.
Sher-Gil's work is famous and iconic for its vibrant show of Indian life and landscapes. Her paintings are like evidence of her connection with the Indian people and their daily lives, especially the rural, less-shown India.

Sayed Haider Raza, commonly known as SH Raza, is the man who brought a simple ‘Bindu’ to the global stage. While Raza's early works were influenced by his surroundings in France, he later shifted to a more abstract style. The inspiration of the majority of his drawings was the ‘Bindu’ (a dot) and it soon became his central motif and style. To Raza, the bindu was the point of creation and the centre of energy.

(Image: moderncanvas1956/Instagram)

All of the Tagore family were pioneers in all things art and culture. But, it is Rabindranath Tagore who is known not just for his poetry on the global stage, but also his art.
Rabindranath Tagore began painting later in life, around the age of 60, but his contributions to art were no less than his literary achievements. His artworks were mostly self-portraits that had a real, raw touch and finish to them, and the other figures he drew were humans, animals, abstract forms, and the likes.
His self-portraits were mostly grey and white and had swirls and styles in them that were not common for his time.

(Image: Canva)