Hailing from the picturesque Kashmir valley, poet-painter Gulam Rasool Santosh was born into a middle-class family in 1929. Despite completing his matriculation in 1945 with painting as his subject, further academic pursuits were thwarted by the untimely demise of his father. Santosh turned to various odd jobs to sustain himself, gradually honing his skills in commercial art and emerging as a proficient papier-mâché artist.

In 1954, he earned a government scholarship to pursue Fine Arts under the guidance of artist N S Bendre at MS University, Baroda. Influenced by the geometric forms and mystical essence of his homeland, Santosh initially painted landscapes but soon embraced Cubism, crafting Cubist landscapes that have since garnered significant acclaim. His pioneering role in Tantric art has propelled a notable shift in the art landscape.

During the 1970s, Santosh delved into a series of seventeen paintings, capturing the pervasive, ineffable solitude and isolation experienced by modern humanity. Since 1953, he has showcased his works in over thirty solo exhibitions. In recognition of his artistic contributions, Santosh was honored with the Lalit Kala Akademi award in 1973 and conferred with the Padma Shri in 1977.