SYED HAIDER RAZA (1922-2016)

The landscape or Paysage in French was central to Syed Haider Raza’s oeuvre. His artistic evolution can be traced through the stylistic and formal shifts in this quintessential genre at the heart of his practice. “Raza's landscapes from the 1970's are executed with a spontaneity and fluidity of brushstroke that differ markedly from his earlier, more naturalistic renditions of the environment. In his paintings from the 1970's, bright fields of color replace all recognizable features of the earlier landscapes. The emphasis has shifted from an obvious manifestation of reality to an interpretation through colour and brushstroke. The objective becomes to create and communicate a "certain climate of experience" wherein Nature is no longer "seen" or "constructed" but is truly "experienced." (G. Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p. 79)