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Saffronart | Evening Sale
“My attempt is to create an art which goes beyond time and place.”
SYED HAIDER RAZA
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IN MEMORIAM
SYED HAIDER RAZA
22 FEBRUARY 1922 ‒ 23 JULY 2016
S H Raza was, like his beloved motif of
the Bindu, a vibrant and essential part of
modern art in India. A founding member
of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group,
he redefined the notion of Modernism
with his deeply spiritual and intellectual
quest for artistic expression. In his
formative years, Raza painted landscapes
and cityscapes, influenced by his time in
France. Frequent visits to India drew him
to the forests of his childhood in Madhya
Pradesh, and the vibrant colours of
Rajasthan, both of which he transformed
onto his canvases in the form of gestural
abstraction.
In the 1970s, Raza changed direction
to focus on purely geometric forms,
symbolising myriad aspects of Hindu
philosophy. Crucial to thesemetaphysical
paintings was the recurring Bindu ‒ the
seed from which all life forms emerge.
For Raza, the act of painting itself was a
meditative experience, and spirituality
was always at the core of his paintings.
S H Raza in his studio
Image courtesy of Vadehra Art Gallery