‘I Couldn’t Live Without It’: Seeing India Through Howard Hodgkin’s Eyes

When he was 14 years old, Howard Hodgkin decided he wanted to collect Indian paintings. During the one year he spent at Eton College in 1946, his interest was piqued by his art master, who had arranged two exhibitions, one of which consisted mostly of Mughal pictures – with a list of their prices – the other one work from the Royal Collection, including Ustad Mansur’s portrait of a chameleon from 1612, painted at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Fascinated, the young Hodgkin realized that it was possible to buy Indian pictures, and that ‘they were not something that simply existed on the walls of a museum’. Putting all his pocket money on two horses at the races, he lost it – but somehow still bought the painting, which sparked a lifelong love affair with Indian art. 

 One of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists, best known for his abstract paintings and vibrant prints, Hodgkin collected works from the Mughal, Deccani, Rajput and Pahari courts dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, eventually amassing 122 pieces that reflected his personal passion. He first visited India in 1964, returning almost every year until his death in March 2017. Famously never photographing his travels in India, Hodgkin instead spent months at a time immersing himself in the richness and colours of the landscape, wandering historic sites such as Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi and the Rajput palaces in Udaipur, and losing himself in the bustle of Bombay’s Colaba Causeway. 

In 1978, Hodgkin became an artist-in-residence at the invitation of the Sarabhai family, textile mill owners who lived in the centre of the Gujarati capital of Ahmedabad. Twice a day, in the morning and afternoon, four or six pieces of paper were delivered from the Kalamkhush Handmade Paper Centre across the road. They arrived wet on zinc plates and covered with muslin, allowing Hodgkin a maximum of two hours to work feverishly with brushes and rags before they dried. The result was his ‘Indian Leaves’ series. According to the writer Antony Peattie, Hodgkin’s partner of 33 years: ‘It was very important to Howard that the paper was Indian paper, sourced from the mill across the road. He used vegetable dyes, which gave him uninhibited use of colour – saturated, brilliant colours. Later, he also bought plywood from Colaba Causeway and had it cut roughly on a cart. His work was a distillation of his experiences.’ 

Now travellers to India – and admirers of the late artist’s work – can follow in Hodgkin’s footsteps in a new Tailormade Journey by luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent in collaboration with Frieze. Launching in January 2026, the eight-day itinerary ‘Howard Hodgkin’s India: A Cultural Journey’ traces the artist’s journey through India, highlighting the places that inspired his work, including New Delhi – pieces such as Mrs Acton in Delhi (1967–71) – and Mumbai – Red Sky in the Morning.

The first two days allow visitors to explore the capital, including a visit to the most famous work that Hodgkin produced in India. Designed by Indian architect Charles Correa and opened in 1992, the British Council’s headquarters feature an imposing mural on their façade. Hodgkin collaborated closely with Correa to construct the mural, which is made of tiny hand-cut rectangular tiles of white Makrana marble and locally quarried black Cuddappah stone – a combination that is often incorporated into Mughal buildings.

The tour then takes travellers into the heat, dust and grandeur of Rajasthan, home of princely states and palatial beauty, where the jangle of silver anklets, the cry of peacocks at dawn and the vivid colours awaken the senses. The itinerary includes a tour of the City Palace, an evening cruise across the glassy stillness of Lake Pichola and a chance to visit the studio of a local artist skilled in the miniature painting so loved by Hodgkin.

‘Howard Hodgkin’s profound connection with India resonates deeply with our philosophy,’ says James Treacy, global communications director of Abercrombie & Kent. ‘His famous declaration, “India – I couldn’t live without it”, captures the transformative power of this extraordinary destination. When you understand that Hodgkin spent decades returning to these places, finding fresh inspiration with each visit, it poses an intriguing question: What is it about these destinations that compelled such devotion? This journey answers that question, revealing an India of infinite complexity and beauty.’ 

Moving across the state border to Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, guests will experience the world of Indian textiles. This industry is bound up with Indian identity – spinning thread allowing Indians to make a livelihood, inspiring Mahatma Gandhi to choose the spinning wheel as a symbol of Indian independence. The former home of the Sarabhai family, where Hodgkin stayed in 1978, is now the Calico Museum, and a visit there reveals a collection of rare 17th-century fabrics, plus antique looms, cottons, silks and brocades enriched with silver and gold threads.

Hodgkin himself was inspired to design his own textiles in 1986, examples of which adorn seating in his beautifully preserved studio, where, in October this year, Abercrombie & Kent launched ‘Howard Hogkin’s India: A Cultural Journey’ with an intimate conversation between Peattie and Richard Calvocoressi, curator of ‘Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden’, a new exhibition at London’s Pitzhanger Manor, that comprises the largest presentation of Hodgkin’s prints to date. 

Fittingly, the itinerary ends in Mumbai, where Hodgkin felt most at home. ‘He had travelled in India over 20 years before we met in 1984,’ says Peattie. ‘Afterwards, we did explore Kerala, Jaipur and Calcutta, but he was happiest in Mumbai, where his friends lived. He loved Parsi cafés, Chowpatti Beach and Malabar Hills.’ 

The eight-day tour ‘Howard Hogkin’s India: A Cultural Journey’, including stays in some of India’s finest hotels, is available exclusively with Abercrombie & Kent. Discover the journey here. 

‘Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden’ is on view at Pitzhanger Manor, London until 8 March 2026.

^{Main image: Howard Hodgkin’s studio, London, October 2025. Photo: Deniz Guzel}