Haku Shah's untiring efforts in reviving and sustaining the tribal and folk art of India is a well known fact and is much appreciated. A multifaceted personality, Shah is often referred to as a trickster when it comes to dealing with the simplicity of his forms and the mundane themes. He deals with the universal truths, thoughtful and provoking questions about existence.

Though Shah's images have a local regional reference derived from tribal and folk themes, his eclectic forms make them seem as though they are from else where. This makes his art more universal in its appeal and reach.