Works
Overview
"The geometric forms are embroidered with a selection of special techniques that represent the mastery of the craftsmanship, beautifully capture the strong play of colours and the rhythm of the elements of the nature."
OVERVIEW
(1922 – 2016 BABARIA, MADHYA PRADESH)
S.H. Raza is celebrated for his profound exploration of Indian philosophy and spirituality, deeply rooted in his connection with nature. His work particularly from the mid-70s uses the black bindu, a dot, symbolizing the idea of creation and the essence of life found in nature, which encompasses the cosmic and spiritual energy in the universe. Using a vibrant colour palette and geometrical motifs the artist depicts the rich Indian landscape that engages his philosophical interconnectedness with humans and the natural world alike.
Video
Biography
Sayed Haider Raza is one of the most prominent and groundbreaking Indian painters of his generation. During his training in France, Raza experimented with a variety of Modernist styles through landscape painting—first inspired by Expressionism, and later by geometric abstraction. In 1970, Raza began to paint purely geometric forms, particularly the circle and the dot, which he likened to the idea of the bindu. Though his style changed drastically over the course of his career, Raza’s works were all united in their emphasis on color, and their references to memory and mood. Raza was also responsible for founding the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) with Krishna Hawlaji Ara and Francis Newton Souza, with the purpose of turning away from the European realist styles taught in Indian art schools, and establishing a modernist vocabulary relevant to India.