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Short Notes

Sayed Haider Raza
● Sayed Haider Raza was born on February 22, 1922 in Babariya village of Madhya Pradesh.
● His father's name was Syed Mohammad Raza and mother's name was Tahira Begum.
● Raza received education about painting from Nagpur School of Art and Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai.
● After holding several exhibitions in India, he went to France in the year 1950 on a scholarship from the French Government and studied there.
● Sayed Haider Raza's name is important among the artists who gave a new and modern look to modern Indian painting.
● Raza is not only respected in the art world for this reason, but Raza's name comes next in line with Hussain and Souza among the artists who have distinguished modern Indian art at the international level.
● Hussain was the most wanderer among them, but his center remained India. Souza moved to New York and Raza settled in Paris.
● In this way, Indian and Western art visions were combined in Raza's art. Despite living in the West for a long time and being influenced by the nuances of art there, Raza is a typical Indian artist.
● He was awarded Padma Shri in the year 1981 and Padma Bhushan in the year 2007.
● S. H. Raza died on July 23, 2016.

Pointwise Notes

Early life and Education:

• Sayed Haider Raza was born on February 22, 1922, in Babaria, Madhya Pradesh, India.
• He showed an early interest in art and went on to study at the Nagpur School of Art and the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai.

Exploring Abstraction:

• In the 1940s, Raza began to move towards abstraction, inspired by the works of European modernists such as Paul Cézanne and Wassily Kandinsky.

Co-founding the Progressive Artists' Group:

• In the 1950s, Raza co-founded the Progressive Artists' Group, which sought to create a modern Indian art that was both international and rooted in Indian tradition.

Geometric Abstractions and Bindu Series:

• Raza's works often feature bright, vibrant colors and geometric shapes, inspired by the mandala and other traditional Indian symbols.
• Raza is perhaps best known for his series of paintings called the "Bindu" series, which feature a single, centered dot or point that represents the origin of the universe.

Honors and Recognition:

• Throughout his career, Raza received many awards and honors, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, two of India's highest civilian honors.
• Raza's works can be found in major collections and museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Personal Life and Legacy:

• Raza spent much of his life traveling and living in various parts of the world, including France, where he lived and worked for many years.
• Raza passed away on July 23, 2016, in New Delhi, India, at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy as one of India's most celebrated and influential artists.
• Today, he is remembered as one of India's most important and beloved artists, whose work continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.

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