Ram Kumar Verma was born in
Shimla, the capital of the Indian state of
Himachal Pradesh in a large middle-class family of eight brothers and sisters. His father was a government employee from
Patiala in
Punjab, India who worked in the Civil and Administrative Division in the British Government. While pursuing M.A. in economics from
St. Stephen's College, Delhi, he chanced upon an art exhibition in 1945. One evening, after "loitering" around
Connaught Place with his friends from
St Stephen's College, he landed up at an art exhibition. Ram Kumar took classes at the Sharda Ukil School of Art under
Sailoz Mukherjee and gave up employment at a bank in 1948 to pursue art. Sailoz Mukherjee was a painter from
Shantiniketan School who introduced him to still life painting with live models. While a student there, he met
Raza at an exhibition.
Raza and Ram became good friends. He convinced his father to pay for a one-way ticket to Paris and studied further there under
Andre Lhote and
Fernand Léger. In Paris, the pacificist peace movement attracted him and he joined the
French Communist Party. Seeking inspiration in the Social Realists such as
Kathe and Fourgenon. He was befriended by
S.H. Raza and
MF Hussain who are two major artists. ==Career==