Exhibition celebrates Raza's 96th birth anniv, features works by artists from MP

To expand the rich artistic tradition of artist Syed Haider Raza's homeland Madhya Pradesh, a new exhibition, "Madhyama" is featuring works by 15 budding artists from the state. Part of the month-long Raza Utsav that commemorates the 96th birth anniversary of the late modernist painter, the exhibition is an attempt to pay homage to the "amazing land of Madhya Pradesh". The show, underway at Triveni Kala Sangam here, is curated by celebrated artist Akhilesh, who was nurtured personally by Raza. "There is a lot of talent in Madhya Pradesh. It has always been a place that has nurtured talent across art forms and has given India some of its biggest names in the art world.

A lot of this talent is still unexplored," Akhilesh, Trustee of the Raza Foundation, said. The Raza Utsav, that began on February 2, is an attempt to keep alive the legacy of the iconic painter, and celebrate his love for art and culture. A multi-arts festival, it features art dialogues, exhibitions, dance and music recitals and poetry. "A rich and varied fare, 'Raza Utsav' is aimed at creating a 'rasik sampradaya' which would be vulnerable to many arts and poetry. "Late S H Raza himself was such a 'rasik' and it would be appropriate to carry this legacy further in offering adequate opportunities for it to grow and flourish," Ashok Vajpeyi, Hindi poet and managing trustee of the Raza Foundation, said. Born in 1922 in Babaria in Madala district of Madhya Pradesh, Raza was best known for depicting concepts like 'bindu', 'purush-prakriti' and 'nari' in his instantly recognisable geometric abstract works. He passed away on July 23, 2016, at the age of 94.

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