Homi Patel was born in 1928 in Mumbai.

He studied at J.J. School of Art, Mumbai along with K. Ambadas, Apollinario D'souza and S. G. Nikam and formed a group that promoted the nonrepresentational and abstract interpretation of art. All through his career, his works remained true to that commitment.

He exhibited solo and participated in several group exhibitions:
In 1954 he exhibited in the Venice Biennale. In 1956, 1970 and 1971 he participated in an exhibition, Indian Painters at Zurich. In 1972 he exhibited in a group show at Dusseldorf, Germany. In 1973 he participated in a group show at Essen Germany. In 1986 he exhibited in Werl, Germany.

His works are in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.

He passed away in 2004.