RENOWNED ARTIST SYED HAIDER RAZA'S KASHMIR CONNECTION

                                                                                        

SYED HAIDER RAZA  ( Born 1922 )  is responsible or bringing Modern Art To kashmir. Raza was a regular Visitor to kashmir since  early Forties of the last Century. He would come and paint   Landscapes in Water colour. 
                                                                             

                                                 ( A Monochrome by S H  Raza ..1949 )

                                                   ( Kashmir Valley by S H Raza 1950 )
                                                                                

                                           ( A kashmir watercolour by S H  Raza )

                             
Sometime around 1947 , he  met some prominent  local Artists in kashmir  and  picked up S N Butt as his student whom he taught  intensely for two months . This period   exposed the young Artist and his friends namely Triloke kaul and P N Kachroo   to basic styles and forms of  Modern Art like Cubism ,Surrealism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Abstract Art , Portrait drawing etc. Raza also introduced a variety of European Artists to Butt and his friends  and most significantly Vincent Van Gogh .  He is reported to have  encouraged  Triloke Kaul and  S N Butt to come over to Mumbai  for their  first Two Men ( Combined ) Painting Exhibition  in 1950 . 

And  In 1948,  Supported by S H Raza and   Percy Brown ( Ex Principal  Calcutta School of Arts and Crafts )  , three Young Artists namely S N Butt, Triloke Kaul and P N Kachroo  formed  The  Progressive Artists Association of J&K.  This Association    held its first Art Exhibition in May 1949 at Srinagar .This Exhibition in Srinagar  was attended by S H Raza  who  was  already a member of Bombay Progressive Artists' Group that had  M F Hussain, S K Bakre , F N Souza, H A Gade  and many more as its members.

 In 1950, After a  chance Contact with a French  Artist cum Photographer in   Kashmir ,  S H Raza  went to France to study Art the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. Raza lived In France for about 60 Years. He    is married to a French artist, Janine Mongillat. Raza has painted all forms and styles but finally settled for the geometric abstraction and the Bindu or dot.

Raza is a recipient of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan. He has also been conferred with the highest French civilian honour, the ‘Commandeur de la Legion d’honneur’. His paintings ‘La Terre’ and ‘Saurashtra’ are among the most costly works ever sold by an Indian artist, at Rs. 18.61 crores (roughly USD 31 million) and Rs. 16.42 crores (roughly USD 25 million) respectively.

Even at an age of 94, he paints almost daily...

( Autar Mota )

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