Yusuf was born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in 1952. He obtained diploma in both painting and sculpture in the 70`s.

He has held 25 one-man shows and has participated in important group shows including the VII Triennale, New Delhi in 1992 and the Bangladesh Biennale, Dhaka in 1995. Yusuf has also taken part in several shows in Korea and Japan.

He was the winner of the Raza Award in 1984 and the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award, New Delhi in 1987. Yusuf was honoured with the National Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, New Delhi as well.
He is famous for his pioneering work in setting up the Graphic Workshop at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, where he is working now as Deputy Director of Graphics.

Yusuf has been made an honorary member of many national and international institutions, and has also delivered a series of lectures across Japan.

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