Born in 1960, Buwa Shete graduated in Applied Arts from Abhinav Kala, Pune, in 1983. After graduating, he worked with advertising agencies as a creative director and illustrator for several years, while painting simultaneously. His first recognition came when he won an award at the National Exhibition of Young Painters in Calcutta, organized by M. F. Hussain. His paintings for a calendar on "Philosophy by Various Saints" won the London Advertising Award in 1997.
His style is characterized by contemporary modernist figures, rendered mysterious by his uniquely Indian style.