F N SOUZA

F. N. Souza’s works drew inspiration from the folk art of his native Goa alongside various European sources such as the full-blooded paintings of the Renaissance, landscapes of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the dynamism of Cubist composition. As one of the founders of the Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947—along with M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and others—Souza led the charge of the Indian modernist art movement. He was the only Indian artist to be included in Tate Modern’s group exhibition on 20th century modernism in 2002.

An iconoclast known for his powerful and provocative imagery, Souza’s unrestrained and graphic style was a source of controversy in both his art and life. His repertoire covered still life, landscape, nudes and icons of Christianity, boldly rendered in a frenzied distortion of form. Souza’s paintings express defiance and impatience with convention and the banality of everyday life.