Akhilesh was born in Indore. His father was a teacher of art in Madhya Pradesh. Akhilesh consciously resisted all attempts at becoming an artist initially but the final year of school saw his resolve weakening. He then went on to earn a Diploma in Fine Arts. He belongs to the breed of artists who come from the provincial towns of India – rooted in traditions and sporting a fresh outlook. He has been influenced by tribal and folk traditions of Madhya Pradesh; at the same time being aware of the trends in the Art World. Akhilesh later moved to Textile Designing and shifted base to Bhopal.

Akhilesh Kumar’s works may be described as fiery compositions of dark and light. His explosions of warm colours, melting into various known and unknown forms, set against dark backgrounds appear as molten lava seeping through charred grounds. In his paintings one can also see representations of the stages of growth, mostly depicted using various elements of flora such as shrubs, stems and flowers. Although it can be argued that the colours used are the same as those of an inferno, the representations of growth and the luminous aura emitted by the fluid forms make his paintings seem almost spiritual in content.