How wildlife, culture inspired Indian painter Neeraj Bakshi's life, art

Neeraj Bakshi at his workshop. 

When Neeraj Bakshi first watched Out of Africa, he didn’t realise the film had just primed the canvas of his life. He was only seven, growing up in Kashmir.

More than four decades later, Bakshi, now an acclaimed Indian painter, would capture the feline grace of lions, the mysticism of acacia-silhouetted savannahs, and the cultural rhythms of the Maasai in watercolours, collages, and abstract forms. Each piece is infused with a deep reverence for Kenya and the wilderness that transformed his worldview.