Untitled (nude)

Figure of a woman masturbating on a decorated surface.

Souza believed that art offered the only respite for man, who would die of boredom in the absence of it. His works betray this sentiment; every piece of his artistic repertoire is charged with his lived moments, every piece portrays an overflowing passion. Brought up in a strictly Catholic environment, expelled from both school and college for his rebellious and ‘blasphemous’ nature, Souza would go on to become a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group and one of the most sought-after artists in the international art markets. His blunt, extreme style, borrowing from spirits of cubism and sculptures of Indian classical traditions, found form in many types – nudes, landscapes, ‘heads’, portraits as well as religious themes.