Gulam Mohammed Sheikh

Through the Years

His 1974 poetry collection Athwa brought surrealism into Gujarati literature, a rare crossover from his primary identity as a painter.

Sheikh’s paintings are part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection in London, marking Indian modern art’s presence in a historically Western-centric institution.

He has used formats like Kaavads—traditional Indian traveling shrines—in his art to create narrative structures blending personal and collective histories.

Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh transformed Indian art education through his long tenure at MS University, Baroda, influencing generations of artists and scholars. His innovative narrative techniques, combining traditional formats with new media, expanded the language of Indian modernism, inspiring exhibitions and collections worldwide. Sheikh’s dual role as writer and painter fostered a multidisciplinary approach that continues to shape contemporary Indian art discourse.