'Raza and His Contemporaries': Exhibition celebrates India’s modernist masters

Celebrating the centenary year of modernist master SH Raza, Dhoomimal Gallery here has organised an exhibition showcasing artworks by the painter and 20 of his contemporaries, including MF Husain, FN Souza and KH Ara.

The ongoing exhibition is part of Raza’s centenary celebrations worldwide, including the retrospective on the artist at Centre Pompidou in France.

Drawn from the Ravi Jain Collection of modern Indian art, “Raza and His Contemporaries” features some of the quintessential masterpieces by the painters who were part of the Progressive Artists Group, formed in Mumbai in 1947, and played a crucial role in creating a strong bid for the liberalising of practices and shaped modernisms in Indian art.

Curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, the exhibition celebrates Raza’s achievements as well as those of his contemporaries in the Progressive Artists Group, including the likes of S Bakre and HA Gade.

Even though focused around Raza, the exhibition also explores the richly diverse voices and influences that coloured Indian modernism.

The show also features other influential artists of his time such as J Swaminathan, KG Subramanyan, Pradosh Dasgupta, Biren De, Jamini Roy, and Zarina Hashmi.

“This exhibition highlights some of the foremost modern artists in the country and reveals their contribution to the development of art. In doing so it carves the path that art was to take in the decades that followed.

“Among these the artist SH Raza was one of the leading contributors with his blazing paintings which in their incandescent use of colour and their reflection of the world outside were skilled in themselves and relevant for the viewer,” Dalmia said.

The art exhibition features Raza’s “Tarpan” (1998), “Yoni Puja” (2002), “Nidhi” (1988), “Night” (1972) and “Storm” (1948), among other works.

The show will come to a close on March 10.