Desmond Lazaro was born in Leeds, UK, but has spent much of his adult life in India He came to India in 1990 to study at MS University, Baroda Captivated by the historic painting traditions of Rajasthan, he spent 12 years in Jaipur training as a Picchvai and miniature painter under late master painter Bannu Ved Pal Sharma He later wrote and published a doctoral thesis on the topic

Desmond Lazaro is a boundary-pushing artist who constantly seeks to re-invent his craft He adopts the traditional techniques of miniature painting and applies it to modern subjects to depict the world around him Working from an intimate personal space, Desmond often explores the themes of belonging, family and history through his art

Highly renowned for his meticulous preparation of materials such as cloth, paper, brushes and pigment colours, he believes that all elements of a medium are an integral part of paintings and deserve disciplined craftsman-like attention

In his recent body of works, Desmond Lazaro has delved deep into astronomy and cosmology He has been working on representing the planetary systems as depicted in ancient maps and tries to offer a mythological and empirical view of the heavens from a modern perspective In many ways, this work represents an ongoing research of the personal cosmos inside him Since 2008, Lazaro has exhibited internationally, and contributed to numerous publications, lectures and seminars He lives and works between Australia and Pondicherry