symboles 9, 2007

Syed Haider "S. H." Raza was an Indian painter and a leading member of the Progressive Artists' Group. He first pursued his passion for art at the Nagpur School of Art in India before studying at the prestigious Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay. After relocating to France, he continued his education at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Raza used color, geometric forms, and symbolic motifs to create works inspired by Indian philosophy, spirituality, and cosmology. Throughout his career, he received numerous prestigious honors, including a Fellowship of the Lalit Kala Akademi, the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Vibhushan—India's second-highest civilian award. France also recognized his achievements by awarding him the Legion of Honour, the country's highest civilian distinction.
Raza's first solo exhibition took place in 1946 at the Bombay Art Society Salon, where he received a silver medal for his work. Over the following decades, his art was exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe and Asia. His celebrated painting Saurashtra sold for approximately US$3.5 million at a Christie's auction in New York, making him one of the highest-selling Indian artists.
Together with K. H. Ara and F. N. Souza, Raza co-founded the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, one of the most influential movements in modern Indian art. In 2013, Indian television recognized him as one of the country's greatest living artistic legends. From 1950 until the end of his life, Raza lived in France.