Saurashtra Series: Raza’s Metaphysical Journey towards Indigenous Self – Urmila Banu

Abandoning the visual description, embracing the objective reality through gestural brushstrokes, impasto-ed application of incandescent colours, metaphorical use of geometric forms, a mystical equilibrium of contrasts and hues to create emotive formulations of expression S.H. Raza’s paintings are equipoise of external phenomenon and a visual statement of the inner self. The artist himself spoke about his works,


Instead of being constructions, my paintings from the 1970s are more gestural in technique and expression. In terms of colour too, they are expressionistic. The spontaneity was new and compulsive- I let the canvas grow.”

The synthesis of Western influence and Indian expression is one of the predominant components of Raza’s paintings, more specifically visible after the 1970s, in his Rajasthan, Saurashtra, and later Series. The expressionist mode of elemental exposition, representational process, and rhetorical devices imbued with particular symbolic connotation, the juxtaposition of celestial geometric forms and rhythmic use of brushstrokes, and the layers of colours, have turned Raza’s Saurashtra Series (1983) a perfect blend of mysticism, poeticism, and innocence.