Manu Chitrakar began painting when he was twelve years old. As a Patua scroll artist who sings and paints, he is part of a living art and performance tradition that is as open to contemporary news stories and politics as it is to ancient legend and myth. He was so inspired when he heard the story of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement that he wanted to render it in his own artistic tradition. He lives and works in Naya Village in Bengal, India.