Francis Newton Souza, one of the most influential figures in the development of modern Indian art, was born in Saligao, Goa (then a Portuguese colony) in 1924. His religious upbringing in a strict Catholic household left a lasting imprint on him, often surfacing in his art through themes of sin, sexuality, and religion. In 1929, his mother moved with him to Bombay (now Mumbai), where he studied at St. Francis Xavier’s Jesuit School. Precocious and rebellious, he was expelled after two years for creating explicit drawings, among other instances of unruly behavior. At 16, he enrolled at the Sir JJ School of Art, only to be expelled again in 1945 for participating in the Quit India Movement. These early acts of defiance marked the beginning of his lifelong resistance to convention, both artistic and societal.

Souza was instrumental in the establishment of the seminal Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947, alongside MF Husain, SH Raza, and others, seeking to forge a new, modernist Indian aesthetic. That same year, he joined the Communist Party but soon left the group when he began to question its ideologies. He moved to London in 1949, seeking broader artistic freedom that Europe granted. While he struggled initially, he gained recognition with his 1955 solo exhibition at Gallery One and the publication of his autobiographical essay, Nirvana of a Maggot.

Over time, Souza’s work evolved into a distinctive blend of expressionism and primitivism. He drew on a wide range of influences, from Western masters like Pablo Picasso and El Greco to Indian history and Christian iconography. Across his oeuvre, there is an undertone of a raw sensuality that can be at times unsettling, erotic, or confrontational. Souza’s genius lies in his bold, evocative, and expressive style, as well as his unrelenting exploration of multiple genres, including religious typology, the female form, and the banality of everyday life.