SH Raza has formed his own text for modernism creating a large repertoire of symbols, colour tonalities, extended spaces and a unique vocabulary by incorporating international sensibilities. Images from nature and specifically the forests of Madhya Pradesh retained a prominent place in his mind long after he left India in 1950.

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.)