Panch Tatva (Five Elements) - Sayed Haider Raza

Sayed Haider Raza (22 February 1922 – 23 July 2016) was an Indian painter who lived and worked in France from 1950 until his death, while maintaining strong ties with India. He was born in Kakkaiya (District Mandla), Central Provinces, British India, which is now present-day Madhya Pradesh. Sayed Haider Raza abstract paintings reflect his deep connection with Indian culture and spirituality. Raza’s paintings often feature bold colors and geometric shapes that reflect his interest in Indian traditions and philosophy.

Sayed Haider Raza, “S H Raza” is one of the most respected Modernists of India and is celebrated for his range of styles and the uniqueness of his vision. His early forms reflect a mastery of abstraction and after years of travel, exploration, and experimentation, he returned to Indian visual idioms for inspiration in the late 1970s, culling from tantric imagery. SH Raza looked to forms as the bindu (seminal source of energy), beej (seed), and garbagraha (sanctum sanctorum or hallowed space) for inspiration. Furthermore, he ascribed color with symbolic meaning and transformed local visual traditions into universal yet deeply personal spiritual iconographies.)