Thapar Gallery is presenting an exhibition titled "Master Artist A. A. Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic," showcasing the work of Indian modernist Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The show highlights Raiba's versatility across mediums including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape drawings from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959. The exhibition runs until June 21.
The exhibition matters because it offers a rare glimpse into a pivotal phase of Indian modernism, focusing on an artist who synthesized Indo-Islamic traditions, European academic naturalism, the Bengal School, and European modernity. Raiba's independent, solitary approach and his distinctive use of line and grid structures provide insight into a multistranded synthesis that defined Indian modern art, making his legacy relevant for contemporary audiences.