Yusuf Arakkal

Emerging from the vibrant state of Kerala, the life of the late Yusuf Arakkal (1945–2016) was shaped by profound personal loss early in life, the passing of both parents which became a catalyst for his deep engagement with the human condition. Determined to follow his passion for art, he left the comfort of his royal lineage as part of the Arakkal family and relocated to Bangalore, where he navigated financial hardships and emotional solitude to become one of India’s most acclaimed contemporary artists.

Arakkal earned a diploma in painting from the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat in 1973 and later went on to specialize in graphic printmaking at the National Academy Community Studios, Garhi, New Delhi, in 1980. This blend of academic grounding and lived experience led to the development of a unique visual language steeped in expressionism, emotional depth, and social critique.

Arakkal’s artworks are often populated by faceless figures, set against dark, brooding backgrounds that symbolize urban alienation, loneliness, and the silent despair of the marginalised. His poignant visual narratives speak to a world divided by materialism, neglect, and emotional detachment. His signature style is unmistakable, haunting, symbolic, and rooted in the realities of life.

A versatile creator, Arakkal’s body of work spanned drawings, paintings, sculptures, murals, and prints. His artistic practice was equally concerned with form and philosophy, drawing on the existential while maintaining deep connections to contemporary societal concerns. One of his crowning achievements came in 2005, when he won the Lorenzo De Medici Gold Medal at the Florence Biennale for his powerful piece “Bacon’s Man with the Child and Priest”, a moving work that encapsulated his enduring themes of human vulnerability and powerlessness.