New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) I live to paint; I paint to live. At 93, the revered modernist S.H. Raza continues to paint and project many dualities and pluralities of life through his favourite 'bindu' subject. A new manifestation of his imagination is in the shape of 44 works that are exhibited in the national capital.
I paint by divine grace. By God’s grace. I believe I cannot paint without this deep faith in God, creativity and imagination. I follow a simple regime: I live to paint; I paint to live. As long as you have the creative fire in you, age cannot deter or stop you,” Raza told IANS in an interview.
A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, Raza still paints with the same enthusiasm that he displayed several decades ago, and credits his “creative fire” for the uninterrupted strength.
The current collection of canvases and paperworks that the artist has worked on in the last one-and-a-half-years has been displayed on the walls of the Vadehra Art Gallery in a show titled “Aarambh”. The exhibition is on till March 18.
While the 'bindu' (dot) remains the centrepiece of all his works, Raza sees these as a continuum of his previous works.
“Mew works should be seen as a continuum. They are in my own tradition except that I hope they offer new explorations, fresh insights and exciting combinations,” Raza told IANS in an interview.
“Bindu, as I have often said, is the centre of silence, energy and imagination. It is inexhaustible and yet it remains a challenge to any creative imagination, including mine. I keep on returning to it since it
offers new possibilities and new combinations,” he added.
Unlike his masterpieces like “Tribhuj” (triangle) or “Prakrati Purusha” (male/female energy), Raza hasn't chosen a particular theme this time to weave magic on the canvas. In fact, his preoccupation with colours comes out well in the exhibition.
“It is difficult to describe themes. There are so many. Yet, I could say that my preoccupation is colour – its immensity, its immense possibilities. Colour for me is a primary manifestation of life, existence, creativity and imagination,” Raza said.
While on the surface his works might not evoke an immediate reaction, but Raza's compositions are rooted in the hope and belief that “truth triumphs and peace prevails”.
“Art as also literature and other forms of creative expression ultimately offer you a site of equality and justice, of beauty and peace. Art demolishes many boundaries,” he said.
“I see that there is a better climate for creative arts but also attempts to curb freedom of expression are unfortunately growing. I feel enthusiastic about the first and unhappy about the second,” Raza added.
(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)
Cleaning of Rivers: 30 thousand crore rupees approved for cleaning many rivers including Ganga, Jal Shakti Minister gave information
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Tuesday that over Rs 30,000 crore have been sanctioned for projects aimed at cleaning the Ganga and its tributaries.
What is the HIRA model of the BJP government? Which PM Modi mentioned in Tripura
PM Modi Tripura Rally: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced several schemes in Agartala, Tripura. PM launches connectivity, Mission 100 Vidya Jyoti School, and Tripura Gram Samridhi
Pakistan: After the attack, Imran Khan decided to stop the march, and said - will start after recovery
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that he is stopping his march in the capital Islamabad. He took this decision when one day an assailant opened fire on his convoy. Imran Khan
UP Rain: Rain wreaks havoc in UP, 17 people lost their lives in 24 hours; Orders to close schools in these districts
For the last three days, the situation has been miserable due to continuous rain in many districts of the state including the capital Lucknow. Life is disrupted due to rain. In Lakhimpur and Barabanki
Rhea Chakraborty remembers Sushant Singh Rajput, wrote - without you, there is no life...
Today is the first death anniversary of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Along with all the fans, many Bollywood stars also posted social media in the memory of Sushant. While Ankita Lokhande
iPhone's camera has faded in front of this phone! 13 thousand discounts is being available in the deal
OnePlus 9 Pro 5G On Amazon: If you are looking for a good phone in the Holi deal, then OnePlus 9 Pro 5G is the best offer on Amazon. There is a discount of up to 13 thousand on this phone. Alexa, 5G
News of relief for the general public, the effect of inflation will not be visible in the year 2022, recovery in the economy
Inflation Rate in India: Due to rising prices of edible oil, fuel, and many other commodities, this year has put a lot of burden on the pockets of consumers, but some relief is expected on the
Kejriwal wants to be with yes-men: Bhushan
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) AAP leader Prashant Bhushan on Thursday denied that he and party colleague Yogendra Yadav had resigned from the party's national executive and accused Delhi Chief
Lakhs of people gathered for Mulayam's darshan: funeral will be held near wife Malti's memorial, flowers brought from Kannauj for tribute
SP Patron Mulayam Singh Yadav will be cremated in Saifai on Tuesday. More than one lakh people have reached the last darshan of Netaji. Right now his body has been taken to the fairground here for his
Cracks in 868 buildings so far in Joshimath: 243 families sent to a relief camp, relief amount of more than 5 crores given
So far 868 buildings have developed cracks due to land subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand. Chamoli's DM Himanshu Khurana informed him about this on Friday. He said that 181 of these buildings are in