Born in 1925 in Jhelum, in pre-partition West Punjab, Satish Gujral moved to India in 1944 to join the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai. During his stay in Mumbai, he came into contact with the Progressive Artists Group. This collective consisted of artists such as SH Raza, EN Souza, PN Mago, Jehangir Sabavala, and MF Husain.
A witness to Partition, the agony of the immigrant experience strongly manifested itself in Gujral's early works—his first collection of works during 1947 are called the Partition Series. It is a theme he has returned to frequently in his career that spanned over six decades.
Through his work, Gujral has experimented with a number of mediums and techniques such as painting, sculpture, murals, graphic design, literature and architecture. In 1999, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India, for his achievements.
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