An exhibition titled Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic, celebrating the artistic legacy of Abdul Aziz Raiba, is currently on view at Thapar Gallery. The exhibition presents works from the 1950s and 1960s, offering a glimpse into a significant phase of Indian modernism through Raiba’s distinctive visual language shaped by multiple artistic traditions.
The exhibition explores Raiba’s diverse artistic practice spanning murals, paintings on jute, elaborate drawings, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy in Urdu and English, and sketches. His work reflects a synthesis of Indo-Islamic traditions, European academic naturalism, the Bengal School and European modernity, while also underscoring his independent artistic approach.
A defining feature of the exhibition is Raiba’s command over line and form. His narrative compositions are structured through strong outlines and stylised forms that draw from miniature traditions while maintaining a modernist sensibility through angular treatment and simplified imagery.
The exhibition also features landscape sketches created during Raiba’s Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959. These works capture fleeting impressions of nature with immediacy and sensitivity, offering a contrast to his more formal compositions.
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Another significant aspect highlighted in the exhibition is Raiba’s use of grids as a compositional framework, revealing the meticulous planning behind his murals and paintings.
When: Until June 21; 11 AM to 7 PM
Where: Thapar Gallery, New Delhi
