{
  "id": 984022,
  "title": "From farmer’s son to emerging artist: How Kumar Misal is turning agrarian roots into powerful art",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/from-farmers-son-to-emerging-artist-how-kumar-misal-is-turning",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-15T07:28:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/from-farmers-son-to-emerging-artist-how-kumar-misal-is-turning-agrarian-roots-into-powerful-art-10834539/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kumar Misal, the 31-year-old artist from Kumbhoj village in Maharashtra, has transformed his agrarian roots into a powerful form of art. Despite his professors at Mumbai’s JJ School of Art advising him to create larger works, Kumar remained dedicated to smaller pieces due to financial constraints. Over a decade later, he has become one of India's promising new voices in art, receiving the Emerging Artists Award 2026 by FICA and Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation. His work focuses on agrarian issues and Adivasi rights, employing aesthetic appeal that evokes empathy and functions as a socio-political tool.\n\nBorn into a family of farmers, Kumar initially considered a career in a secure government job. However, he followed his artistic inclination and faced disappointment when he failed the physical exam for the police exam. His former art teacher encouraged him to pursue a career in art, which eventually led him to enter and rank second in the JJ School of Arts entrance exam. Kumar faced financial hardships in his hostel days, creating murals for extra income. This struggle helped him find inspiration during a paper-making workshop in Kerala, where he began using fibers from banana leaves, corn, and sugar extracts to create unique handmade paper. This distinctive paper is now a crucial element in his art, as seen in works like Rawanth (2023) and Varula (2024).",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Kumar Misal, 31, from Kumbhoj village, transforms agrarian roots into art.",
    "Despite advice to create larger works, he focuses on smaller pieces due to finances.",
    "Awarded Emerging Artists 2026 for agrarian issues and Adivasi rights art."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kumar Misal's rise as an emerging artist cements the link between his agrarian roots and creative voice, solidifying his place as a socio-political advocate through his distinctive, empathetic art.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}