SYED HAIDER RAZA (B. 1922)

Painted in earthly reds this painting invokes a deep sense of the land and spirituality by fusing both abstract, representational and even symbolic form into a powerful and mystic expression of the mood and atmosphere of India. The composition, executed in loose brushstrokes, is a departure from Raza's previous style and a precursor to his heavily structured geometric canvases. Adopting a codified and symbolic language, Raza uses specific shapes and colours to represent different aspects of the natural world making the works intrinsically representative. The composition relies primarily on colour to convey its warmth and lyrical message, relegating representation to simply flickers of shape. His paintings of this period evoke powerful emotions, the interlocking red and yellows with the blacks and browns create a dynamic surface that is charged with an imperceptible energy.