Mickey Patel, born in 1941 in Lahore (now in Pakistan), studied economics at St. Stephen's College, New Delhi. He initially worked with prominent advertising agencies like Lintas, Thompson, ASP, and Clarion before transitioning to freelance illustration. During his multifaceted career he also produced drawings and paintings that have found their place in many public and private collections.
Patel's career spanned work as a cartoonist and illustrator for leading publications such as India Today, Reader's Digest, Business Standard, Hindustan Times, and The Illustrated Weekly of India. He was also known for illustrating numerous children's books, especially for the National Book Trust in Delhi. His illustrations reached a wide audience, and he contributed to educational institutions like the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and organizations such as UNICEF, Oxford University Press, and Air India. Among his honors, Patel was awarded the prestigious Noma Concours by UNESCO for Picture Book Illustrations thrice in the years 1978, 1984 and 1986.
The artist passed away in 1994.
