Background
Sayed Raza was born on February 22, 1922 in Babaria, Central Provinces, British India (now Madhya Pradesh, India). He was the son of Sayed Mohammed Razi, a respected Deputy Forest Ranger of the entire British-owned district.
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Sayed Raza was born on February 22, 1922 in Babaria, Central Provinces, British India (now Madhya Pradesh, India). He was the son of Sayed Mohammed Razi, a respected Deputy Forest Ranger of the entire British-owned district.
Initially, Sayed was educated at a Government High School. During the period from 1939 to 1943, he studied at the Nagpur School of Art. Thereafter, the painter moved to France in order to pursue his studies at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was awarded with a scholarship from the government of France, which encouraged him to pursue his higher studies there in Paris.
Syed Haider Raza’s paintings mainly revolved around expressionistic landscapes during the initial stages of his career. His very first show was held at Bombay Art Society, even before he moved to France.
In 1947 Sayed co-founded the revolutionary Bombay Progressive Artists' Group (PAG) together with K. H. Ara and F. N. Souza. The group had its first show in 1948.
In 1962, Raza started serving as a visiting lecturer at the University of California in Berkeley. There, he influenced many American painters and taught them the nuances of incorporating interesting Indian elements into modern art.
Seeking more inspiration and a whiff of fresh air, Raza returned to India in the 1970s. Though his brothers and sister had migrated to Pakistan post partition, he had chosen India as his home. The painter returned to his motherland as he needed a new direction, not only in his work but also in his personal life. He visited many parts of the country including the majestic caves of Ajanta and Ellora. He even visited places like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Benaras.
In 2000, he started incorporating concepts like Kundalini energy and the Nagas in his works. Sayed also focused more on incorporating stories of Mahabharata into his art works and paintings.
The painter's works were shown at many exhibitions, including Venice Biennale in 1956, Biennale of Young Contemporary Painters, Bruges, Belgium in 1958, Biennale of Tokyo in 1961 and others.
Sayed Raza founded Raza Foundation, which gives Annual Raza Foundation Award to young artists in India, and co-founded Bombay Progressive Artists' Group.
During his lifetime, he received many awards, including Padma Vibhushan Award, Padma Bhushan Award and others.
On June 10, 2010 Raza's work Saurashtra was sold for $3,486,965 at a Christie's auction.
In 2015 he was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour.
Raza considered the Bindu (dot) to be the center of creation and existence and his works reflect this particular thinking.
Quotations:
"If I set my mind to something, I did it."
"France has been very good to me, but I am still an Indian citizen."
Sayed Raza was married to Janine Mongillat, a French artist, who died in 2002 of cancer.
