Basak's journey as an artist began with his graduation in 1977 from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata. His paintings probe the psyche of man, plumbing the unknown depths within all of us. Like the great surrealists of the past, his work goes beyond the visible, beyond reason, to give his canvases a haunting quality. Fantasies executed in color, his paintings have a strong grounding in reality responsible for their disturbing effect.

Basak's also uses his thoughtful paintings to help the less privileged. He was part of the Art for Spastics Auction held in Chennai and member of the Help Age All India Show held at the Jehangir Art Gallery a few years ago. He is also an avid supporter of animal rights. When Maneka Gandhi, animal right's activist, organized an exhibition titled 'People for Animals' (after the name of her organization), Aditya Basak was one of the participants. 
Basak is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the National Award for Painting presented by the Lalit Kala Akademi. This prolific artist has already held more than 66 exhibitions.