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)
Climate change, migration burdening urban areas in Bay of Bengal
Kolkata, March 17 (IANS) Rising urban population following forced migration from rural areas is a result of climate change and poses a burden upon urban risk-reduction efforts, aver experts from
Russia attacked Kyiv with an Iranian suicide drone: and targeted power stations, Ukraine shot down 30 out of 35 drones
The people of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine woke up to the sound of explosions on Monday morning. Russia attacked Kyiv with Iranian suicide drones. Russia aimed to destroy Kyiv's power stations and
WTC Final: India reached the final of the championship because of Sri Lanka, not because of the performance in the fourth test
The Indian cricket team has reached the final of the World Test Championship. New Zealand won the first Test played against Sri Lanka in Christchurch to take India to the final. India needed a defeat
Russia-Ukraine war: 353 Ukrainian children killed so far, Ukraine kills 38,300 Russian soldiers
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which started on February 24, has been going on for 5 months, but it does not seem to be ending or any solution on it. At the same time, Russia is continuously
Israel-Hamas War: Cease fire in Gaza Strip today after 46 days, about 300 Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for 50 Israeli hostages.
A four-day ceasefire has been agreed to in the 46-day-long Israel-Hamas war. Under the agreement, the extremist organization Hamas will release 50 women and children among those abducted and held
PM Modi Paris Visit: Macron welcomed PM Modi in France with a hug, and said- you are welcome my friend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a rousing welcome in France. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him with a hug at the welcome dinner organized before he co-chaired the AI Summit in
Modi Surname Case: Surat court will pronounce verdict on Rahul Gandhi's petition today, sentenced to 2 years
Modi Surname Case A court in Surat is likely to pronounce its verdict today on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea against the conviction in the 'Modi surname' case. The petition has sought a stay on
Captaincy of Mumbai Indians should be handed over to Rohit Sharma again, former Indian player gave a frank statement
Former Indian team batsman Manoj Tiwari said that Mumbai Indians should hand over the captaincy back to Rohit Sharma. The performance of the five-time IPL champions so far in the current season has
5 reasons for Biden's victory: Openly opposed to the government on Corona, managed to get his message to voters
Joe Biden, who gave 50 years of life to politics, always dreamed of becoming President of America. In his 77th year, he is getting a chance to climb the stairs of the White House as President. This
Canada Row: Tension increased between India and Canada due to the attack of Khalistanis on Hindus, Sikh community also came out in support
The ongoing tension in the relations between India and Canada may increase further due to Khalistanis targeting the people of the Hindu community outside the temple in Canada. The Indian High