About Tyeb Mehta

Born in 1925 in Gujarat, Tyeb Mehta started his career as a film editor. However, he was interested in art and painting and therefore he joined Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1947. His work spans over six decades mirroring the changing times and fortunes since independence. His mythology-inspired art works not only prove his knowledge of Indian tradition but also about his versatility. A visit to a slaughter house where he saw massive buffaloes and bulls being slaughtered left a deep impression on his mind.

Among his most noted later paintings were his triptych Celebration, which when sold for Rs 1.5 crore at a Christie’s auction in 2002, was not only the highest sum for an Indian painting, but also triggered the subsequent great Indian art boom. His works were the first ever to be sold for over a million dollars. In March 2011, Mehta's "Bulls" fetched an astounding figure of USD 2.82 Million and became the second most expensive Indian artwork sold ever. Mehta was conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2007. His exhibitions are known to produce intense interest in art world. He has participated in several international exhibitions and Biennales which brought him and India tremendous respect. He was awarded the J.D. Rockfeller III Fund Fellowship in 1968, on which he visited the U.S. Felicited with various awards and honours, Mehta received the Dayawati Modi Award in 2005, the Gold Medal from the President of India on the occasion of Lalit Kala Akademi’s Golden Celebration in 2004, the Kalidas Samman from the Madhya Pradesh State Government in 1988, and the Prix Nationale in Cagnes sur Mer in 1974. Tyeb Mehta lived and worked in Mumbai, till he passed away in 2009.