From the Baroda School of artists, Haku Shah is an influential artist, anthropologist and author Born in Valod, Gujarat in 1934, the artist graduated from MS University, Baroda in 1955 and then completed his Master’s in Fine art from the same institution in 1959

The artist was endlessly inspired by the folk and tribal art of India Rural life too has influenced his works His works are simple yet evoke feelings that can resonate with indigenous art from around the world For this reason, he was also touted as a ‘global artist’ His works are mostly figurative and expressive of the spiritual environment that had major influences on Shah’s life and art 

With his stint at National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad that continued till the 1960s, he was able to delve further into his fascination with the emotion emanating from folk art He was also known to be an expert on tribal art, authoring several books and being invited by Stella Kramisch to curate the exhibition ‘Ritual Art in Tribe and Village - Art of Unknown India’ in the USA He was also the curator of the Museum for Tribal Cultures in Gujarat Vidyapeeth and founder of Folk Art Museum in Ahmedabad He was also awarded the ‘Kala Gaurava’ by the Gujarat Lalit Kala Akademi for his work

Shah passed away in 2019 in Ahmedabad