Dulari Devi’s story is one of the most extraordinary in contemporary Indian art. Born into a low-caste family in the Mithila region, she worked as a domestic helper before being encouraged by artist Mahasundari Devi and researcher Vijay Kumar to begin painting.

Her semi-autobiographical paintings document the lives of ordinary people in rural Bihar — fisherwomen, farmers, festivals, animals, and the rituals of daily life — with a directness and warmth that distinguishes her work from more traditional Mithila iconography.

Her autobiography, Following My Paintbrush, was published to wide acclaim and translated into multiple languages. She received the Padma Shri in 2021.