Pushpa Kumari was born in the Madhubani district of Bihar in 1969. She was raised by her grandmother, Mahasundari Devi, a Padma Shri-award-winning Madhubani artist. Mahasundari Devi passed on her artistic expertise to Kumari, ensuring that Kumari had a strong knowledge of the rich traditions of Madhubani. 

Kumari chose to follow in her grandmother's footsteps, and pursue a career in Madhubani.

Pushpa Kumari distinguishes herself from her peers by blending classic Madhubani techniques motifs with contemporary thematic material in her paintings. Typically, Madhubani paintings depict scenes from Hindu scriptures, or showcase the natural world. However, Kumari chooses to focus her pieces on topics such as gender, sexuality, and environmentalism. 

For instance, in the painting shown here, Kumari applies the stylistic elements of Madhubani to a piece about resilience during COVID-19, even incorporating a syringe as an umbrella handle to represent the power of vaccinations. In short, her paintings aren't just visually appealing - they also send powerful messages about social justice.

Pushpa Kumari was recognized by the Crafts Council of India with the Kamala Award for Excellence in Crafts in 2023. Her artwork has been exhibited in countries across the world, including in India, the United States, Australia, England, and Japan. Her artwork was featured in the Biennale of Sydney, an international art festival featuring innovative artwork from across the globe. 

She was also one of 20 artists chosen to exhibit their work in JC Decaux's bus shelters in New York and Boston, making her the only person of Indian descent to be given this opportunity.