A solo exhibition of recent works by India’s veteran artist and a living legend

Born in 1922 in Babaria of Madhya Pradesh, S. H. Raza studied at Nagpur School of Art (1939-43) and later at Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai (1943-47), before joining Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1950-53). One of the founders of the Progressive Artist's Group (PAG), he has made immeasurable contribution to Indian art in the post-Independence era.

Though he has spent close to six decades of his life in France, he remains deeply attached to the country of his birth. The internationally celebrated artist comes back to his home country as frequently as possible to reconnect with his roots. He has been researching about Indian culture for well over 50 years, in order to portray the greatness of this vivid culture.

Raza has stated, "I have come closer to India by being away. I have read and researched more and more about India. I have become more Indian in France." Symbols in his works are largely derived from an Indian ethos, including the pancha tatva (five elements of Nature) and the Bindu (the dot or the epicenter). His work emphasizes the metaphysical and meditative philosophies of the five primeval elements the world is be made of, as propagated by Hindu mythology.
Elaborating on his practice driven by Indian philosophy and history, the master artist mentions, “India is full of color. My paintings reflect the vibrancy of color that makes up the country. Whenever I am working away in France, the question I invariably ask myself is: where’s the Indian sensibility in it.”

A solo exhibition of recent works by India’s veteran artist and a living legend takes place courtesy Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi courtesy Lalit Kala Academi. Among his significant joint shows in the last few years include ‘Spirit of India’, with M F Husain at Kings Road Galleries, London, and 'Shanti: A Scream for Peace', with Manish Pushkale at Bugno Art Gallery, Venice.

The Government of India awarded him the ‘Padma Shri’ in 1981 and the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2007, apart from the Lalit Kala Ratna Puraskar (2004) he received from LKA, Delhi.