Akbar Padamsee was born in 1928 in Bombay.

He studied at St. Xavier’s High School and met his first mentor, a watercolorist who taught him the medium. From 1948 - 1951 he studied at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai. In 1951 he received his diploma in Art.

In 1951 he won an award from the French Journal (Journal d’Arte). In 1952 he participated in his first group show with S.H. Raza & F.N. Souza at Gallerie Saint Placide, Paris. In 1952 he had two more shows with Raza & Souza. In 1953 he had a joint exhibition with Raza at Galerie Raymond Creuze, Paris. In 1953 & 1955 he participated in the International Biennales, Venice. In 1954 he had a solo exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1954 he was awarded gold medal by Calcutta Fine Arts Society, Calcutta.

In 1957 he had a solo exhibition at Galeriede Ventadour, Paris. In 1958 he took part in a group show ‘Seven Indian Painters’ at Gallery One, London. In 1959 he participated in Sao Paulo Biennale and in Tokyo Biennale. In 1959 he had a group show with M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza & Krishen Khanna at Gallery 59, New York. In 1960 he had a solo exhibition (organised by Gallery 59) at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1961 he participated in second Paris Biennale. In 1962 he received the National Award from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. In 1962 he participated in a group show at Galerie 9, Paris. In 1962 he had a solo exhibition at Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi.

In 1963 he participated in the Venice Biennale and the 3rd Paris Biennale. In 1963 he had a solo exhibition at Gallery 63, New York. In 1964 he had a solo show of drawings at Gallery Chemould, Mumbai. In 1965 he had a solo exhibition at Galerie 9, Paris. In 1965 he received the J.D. Rockefeller Fellowship, USA. In 1966 he was invited to showcase at Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal. In 1967 for one semester he was the artist in residence at Stout State University, Wisconsin, USA. In 1969 he received the Nehru Fellowship for 2 years from New Delhi and he made short films, ‘Syzygy’ & ‘Events in a Cloud Chamber’.

In 1974 and 1975 he exhibited at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai and in 1978 and 1979 he participated in a group show ‘Pictorial Space’ at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. In 1979 he took part in a group exhibition in Mumbai and in 1980 he exhibited solo ‘Muktibodh’ at Lalit Kala Bhavan in Bhopal. In 1981 he exhibited at MOMA, Oxford. In 1982 he participated in Festival of India, London. In 1984 he participated in a group show ‘10 Artists’ at Gallery 7, Mumbai and a group exhibition of contemporary painters at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1984 - 1985 he exhibited watercolours at Art Heritage, New Delhi. In 1985 - 1987 he participated in Printmaking at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal.

In 1985 he participated in a group show in Paris and took part in a group show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1986 he had one person watercolour, nudes and bronzes at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai and at Art Heritage, New Delhi. In 1988 he had one person show of oil on canvas at Art Heritage, New Delhi and at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1987 he participated in the Festival of India, Moscow. In 1990 he participated in XAL Praxis Foundation show of prints at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1990 he took part in a group show of (first computer art show) charcoals in New Delhi and in 1991 he took part in ‘State of the Art’ at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1991 he took part in a group show in New Delhi and a group show ‘Remembering Kali’ at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1991 he participated at NGMA in New Delhi and Mumbai. In 1992 he showcased at Kolkata and New Delhi. In 1992 he had a solo exhibition of charcoal and oil on canvas at Sanskriti Art Gallery and at Art Heritage. In 1993 he had a solo at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1993 he exhibited ‘Circling the Square’ exhibitions of objects of art at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1994 he had a solo at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. From 1996 - 1998 he had one person shows at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1996 he exhibited in Mumbai and London. In 1998 he received Kalidas Samman from Government of Madhya Pradesh. In 1998 he received the award for excellence from Bank of India. In 1999 and 2000 he had solo exhibitions ‘Compugraphic’ in Mumbai and Bangalore.

In 2001 he showcased in Mumbai. In 2002 he participated in a group show at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2004 he exhibited solo works on paper at Gallery 88, Kolkata and participated in a group show at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi. In 2004 he took part in group shows in New Delhi and Mumbai. He received Lalit Kala Ratna Award from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. In 2005 he exhibited in Mumbai and Calcutta. In 2006 he had one person show ‘Lines of Distinction, Strokes of Genius - Works of Paper, 1959 - 2006’ at Tamarind Art, New York. In 2006 he had a two person show at India Fine Art, Mumbai. In 2006 he participated in a group exhibition in New York and he had two person show with Krishen Khanna in Mumbai. In 2007 he received Dayawati Modi Award, New Delhi and in 2008 he received ‘Roopdhar’ from Bombay Art Society; Life Time Achievement Award, Mumbai. In 2008 he had a solo exhibition of drawings and photographs ‘Sensitive Surfaces’ at Galerie Helen La Marque, Paris. In 2009 he exhibited in Boston. In 2010 he participated in group exhibition ‘Masters of Maharashtra’ at NCPA, Mumbai. In 2012 and 2013 he participated in several group shows in London, New York, New Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai and Chennai. In 2010 he received Kailash Lalit Kala Award in New Delhi. In 2010 he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, New Delhi.

Akbar works and lives in Mumbai.