Anwar was born in 1964 in Ambha, Madhya Pradesh. Extremely passionate towards painting, the artist completed the National Diploma in fine arts from Gwalior in 1985. The abstractionist has received multiple awards such as All India Kalidas exhibition (1985), Bharat Bhavan Scholarship, Government of India Senior Fellowship (New Delhi, 1996- 97), National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi (New Delhi- 1995), and many more.

The Bhopal gas tragedy was one event that helped bring this change in Anwar’s work. Deeply affected by what had happened, the artist had to display his mixed and confused feelings in his work. Bringing despair, passion and hope together on a canvas was no easy task, and it is to Anwar’s credit that he handled it so well, moving into the higher echelon of artists who were now comfortable in their work having experimented with various techniques and media and finally settling in their own niche or signature style.

Most of Anwar's recent works show a clear vertical division of the painted surface with an almost central line, often splitting the paper into two contrasting colors and pulling all the activity on the surface towards it. Anwar grinds his own pigments to make the pastel colors he builds his surface in layers with. Using dry pastels to mark these opaque layers in an almost calligraphic manner and sometimes weaving or pasting painted material or the surface, Anwar creates relief like lyrical pieces that communicate his thoughts and emotions fully.

He lives and works out of Delhi, India.