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Born: April 12, 1924, Saligao (Goa)
Died: March 28, 2002, Mumbai
Francis Newton Souza studied painting at the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai. He was expelled in 1942 for participating in thei Quit India movement. He is credited with the idea of forming the Progressive Artists' Group, of which he was a founder member.
Untitled, mixed media on paper, 1956. (93.3 Kbytes)
Souza left for London in 1949 and, after a few years of struggle, he began to make a mark on the art scene there. He participated in a group show at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1954, and had a one-man show the following year at Gallery One. This show coincided with the publication of an autobiographical piece Nirvana of a Maggot in "Encounter" magazine, then edited by Stephen Spender.
Souza remained in London till 1967, before moving to New York. He had several well-reviewed exhibitions during his London years and has had several one-man shows since. Retrospectives of his work were held in Delhi and Mumbai (1987).