One of the first contemporary Indian artists to have made employed female nude as a subject, in its finest form, KH Ara was an influential member of the Progressive Artists’ Group in Bombay. Besides, he also founded the Artists’ Centre, Mumbai.

 

At the onset of his career, his artworks were limited to just landscapes and a few drawings based upon social and historical themes. Primarily working in watercolours, he made a complete switch towards using oil paints.

 

As he grew older, he took less interest in exhibiting his works and chose to spend most time of the day at the Artists’ Centre helping struggling artist to hone their skills and find a platform. Ara was awarded the Governor’s Award in 1944 and a Gold Medal from the Bombay Art Society in 1952.