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Lot 21

 

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"I have been obsessed by the idea of Bindu as a seed, as a vital geometric shape. The seed generates energy, and the energy is revealed in colour..." - S H RAZA

S H Raza's art underwent a transformation in the late 1970s when he began to explore the potential of geometric forms. This preoccupation with lines, shapes and colours has been a part of his oeuvre ever since and has led to the recurring presence of the bindu in... "I have been obsessed by the idea of Bindu as a seed, as a vital geometric shape. The seed generates energy, and the energy is revealed in colour..." - S H RAZA

S H Raza's art underwent a transformation in the late 1970s when he began to explore the potential of geometric forms. This preoccupation with lines, shapes and colours has been a part of his oeuvre ever since and has led to the recurring presence of the bindu in his works.

The bindu, or the black circle, stands as a metaphor for the origin of all life in Indian philosophy, while also being a sign of shunya, or a void, that is similar to the point from which the universe was created. The bindu's representation in Raza's works ranges from a concentrated dot to a large black orb, as noted in the present lot, and symbolises "...the seed, bearing the potential of all life, in a sense. It is also a visible form containing all the essential requisites of line, tone, colour, texture, and space. The black space is charged with latent forces aspiring for fulfillment." (Geeti Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi: Media Transasia India Ltd., p. 134)

Raza was introduced to the bindu by one of his teachers in his native Indian village of Babaria in the Mandala district of Madhya Pradesh. The teacher, Nandlal Jharia, taught him how to focus on the significant and eliminate the peripheral by concentrating on a small black dot. However, it took a few decades for this concept to manifest in Raza's oeuvre, which developed in distinct phases that were heavily influenced by his travels and life in France before returning to his Indian roots.

The present lot, titled Sansarii (Univers, 4 Grand Bindu), shows how completely Raza's style had moved away from the unrestrained landscapes and gestural abstract expressionism of his earlier works, focussing instead on spiritual concepts rooted in geometric forms. There is a repetition of shapes, forms, and colours, as noted in the multihued framing of primary colours around the inner composition, which, according to Raza, helped one "gain energy and intensity, as is gained through the japmala, or the repetition of a word or a syllable until you achieve a state of elevated consciousness." (Sen, p. 128)

Sansarii (Univers, 4 Grand Bindu) represents Raza's need to combine the principles of pure geometry with his love for colour and symbolism, thereby making it an intensely personal experience for the viewer. The bright primary colours used in the present lot are derived from the Indian concept of panchatatva, representing the five elements of nature - earth, sky, air, fire, and water. "I have interpreted the universe in terms of five primary colours: black, white, red, blue and yellow. A total chromatic expression can be achieved by mixing primary colours with other secondary colours, such as greens, browns, and ochres. From there you can move to a great austerity of colours till you come to a supreme purity of form." (Artist quoted in Sen, p. 128)

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