Famous Artists

S.H. Raza was born as Syed Haider Raza in the year 1922, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most distinguished artists of the Indian subcontinent, Raza has been settled in France since 1950. However, his ties with India remain as strong as ever. The paintings of Syed Haider Raza have been done mainly in oil or acrylic and have a very heavy usage of color. His wife is a French artist, Janine Mongillat. Know more about the biography and life history of S.H. Raza with this article:

Raza received his formal training in painting at the Nagpur School of Art (Nagpur) and Sir J. J. School of Art (Mumbai). During his stay at the Sir J.J. School, he became a member of Progressive Artist Group. At that time, SH Raza experimented with the Western Modernism, which was moving away from expressionism and towards abstraction. Thereafter, he shifted to France to pursue his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts of Paris. The paintings of Syed Haider Raza in the 1940s and 1950s revolved mainly around landscapes.

His Style
The paintings of S.H. Raza revolve mainly around nature and its various faucets. His paintings have evolved from being purely expressionist landscapes to abstract ones. He believes the Bindu (dot) to be the center of creation and existence and his works reflect this particular thinking. Even though the vibrancy of his paintings has become subtle, the dynamism remains as alive as ever.

Achievements
A painting by S.H. Raza was reportedly sold for US $1.4 million at an auction held in December 2006. In Feb 2007, his works were exhibited in The Arts Trust - Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (Mumbai).

Recognition

S.H. Raza was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree by the Government of India in the year 1981. He is also a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi of New Delhi. The government of Madhya Pradesh has awarded him the Kalidas Samman.