Born on September 23, 1924, in Shimla, Ram Kumar pursued his studies in economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. During his college years, he attended evening classes at the Sarada Ukil School of Art, where he immersed himself in Western-style painting under the guidance of Sailoz Mookherjea. From 1949 to 1952, he furthered his artistic education in Paris, studying painting under André Lhote and Fernand Léger.

Although Ram Kumar initially produced representational works, he gained renown for his distinct brand of abstraction, a style he embraced during his time in Varanasi. It was there that he had journeyed alongside his friend and fellow artist M. F. Husain to explore this novel artistic approach.

Kumar’s abstract landscapes, free from human presence, do away with the conventional elements of reality. Instead, they convey the essence of land, trees, sky, and water through the sheer intensity of colors. He uses a variety of textures to map out the forms through abstract strokes. His work is greatly molded by his fascination with nature, being-ness, and the connections between space, purposes, and people. He truly exemplifies how a painter may portray the most intimate stories of his society while still keeping the uniqueness, if not eccentricity, of his performance.