Jivya Soma Mase was an overseer of farm lands in the Dahanu Taluka of Maharashtra, the home of the Warli. Having time on his hands, he would often copy the Warli figures which essentially the women of his community painted on their "chowks" during marriages and festivals.

A field worker of the Craft Board on discovering the obvious talent that he saw in Jivya, lured him to paint. He thus took the Warli art out of the narrow confines of his village to not only national but also international fame.

He has two sons Sadashiv and Balu, both of whom paint but they have yet to find the fire that Jivya had in his hey days.

Today Jivya Mase's name is synonymous with Warli painting. A true giant in our Indian art world, he has perfected the art and has achieved international recognition which has brought him invitations to participate in many festivals and fairs.