Babu Xavier, a prodigious artist hailing from Trivandrum, Kerala, breathes life into his canvases with vivid colors and fantastical creatures that exude a prism-like radiance. His watercolors, tinged with sexual undertones, depict nearly human figures that pop with vibrant yellows, full-blooded reds, and sparkling blues and greens.

Although Xavier never envisioned himself as an artist, his chance encounter with the renowned artist Jayapal Panicker changed his path forever. Rejecting the notion of formal art schooling, Xavier withdrew from college and worked under Panicker’s tutelage at the Cholamandal Art Colony in Madras.

After selling small canvases in Kerala, a fortuitous encounter with a bank manager who took Xavier’s art to Mumbai changed the artist’s fortunes. Soon, Xavier’s work was showcased at prominent art galleries, garnering widespread recognition and cementing his place as one of India’s most distinguished contemporary artists. However, Xavier’s art serves a more profound purpose, as he states that he does not create to merely adorn walls. His paintings contain contrasting elements, such as sexuality and death, that are intended to disturb and provoke introspection.