Prakash Karmarkar came from an artistic family; his father was a renowned artist of his time. Unfortunately, all of his father`s paintings were destroyed in the Hindu Muslim riots in the 1940s, which also ruined his family. By 1949, both his parents had passed away, forcing him to abandon his studies at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata. He joined the army for two years and then quit to work as a graphic design manager for a medical firm in Kolkata. Virtually penniless and desperate for a break, in 1956, he held a street exhibition, the first in the city, hanging his works along a corner. Influenced by the works of Picasso and the classic impressionists, Karmarkar`s work reflects the degenerating society and the confusion that prevails in India today. Prakash Karmarkar lived and worked from Kolkata. He passed away on 25th February, 2014.