Born in 1928, Rasik Raval spent his boyhood in Sabarkatha, Gujrat, India. After his father's untimely death in 1944, he went to Bombay [Mumbai] to study art at Sir J J School of Arts. After completion of his course in 1949, harsh realities of survival dealt a ruthless blow to him. In those desolate days, he lived and painted off the pavement until one day his work caught the eye of a notable art connoisseur, Farokh Mulla.

When asked why more paintings are not coming from him, Rasik Raval shyly told him that he does not have a place to work. On hearing this, Mulla took him to his residence to set up his studio.

Raval's studio pulled art lovers like a magnet. Collectors started picking his work ev...