Beyond the bindu: New exhibition of late SH Raza's work is fascination collection of paintings, letters and more

Concentric circles cocooning a large black circle is how one defines Sayed Haider Raza's stellar bindu series. The late artist, who passed away in 2016, was best known for his bindus, but his body of work encompasses more than these tantra-influenced paintings. An upcoming exhibition at Piramal Art Gallery attempts to trace the Padma Vibhushan awardee's journey from his Indian landscapes, when he first began paintings in the early 1940s, and spans five decades of his work till the late 90s when he began painting bindus.

"The paintings and photographs highlight points in Raza's life when he was evolving as an artist of significance," says Ashvin E Rajagopalan, curator and art historian, Piramal. He lists "his encounter with the Austrian war émigrés in Bombay, his meeting with (French photographer) Henri Cartier Bresson, his move to Paris, his marriage and decision to settle in France, his visits to India and his discovery of Indian roots" as of Raza's milestones. Of all the paintings, Rue des Fosses St Jaques stands out for Rajagopalan – it's with this painting that Raza's art career really took off.

A 1944 and a 1945 watercolour on paper depicts typical scenes at the Benaras ghats in a riot of colour, a testimony to the beauty of his early landscapes. Two untitled 1953 pieces – a graphite on paper and a gouache on paper – created right after his move to Paris depict his love for the city. A 1970 oil on canvas titled Paysage shows his shift in his viewing of landscapes – it's abstract blend of colour completely in contrast with his earlier works that captured the physical features of a place. And finally, with the '80s, one sees the shift into Indian tantra – his bindu works, as well as famous pieces like '93 Surya Namashkar painted (where he explores the same circular form with different variations of colour and scale).

"The exhibition presents rare unseen materials from various archives and highlights different aspects of the artist's life and persona. For example, Raza was a meticulous organiser and this is evident in the way he maintained his accounts and correspondence with his friends. These materials are there for the viewers to see," explains Rajagopalan. An array of letters, photographs and interactive displays accompany the chronological display of paintings.

"An activity area will be introduced as part of the exhibition space. Visitors can participate in a community artwork using colorful magnetic pieces inspired by the motifs that Raza uses extensively in his paintings on a large 1.6mx1.6m 'canvas'. This is also accessible for people with disabilities," adds a spokesperson from the critically acclaimed exhibition designers, Gallagher & Associates.

SH Raza: Traversing Terrains, is on view from June 24 to October 28 at B Wing, Piramal Tower, Peninsular Corporate Tower, Lower Parel