Bhoomi

At the root of Syed Haider Raza's paintings lies a strong tie to nature and to the forests of Madhya Pradesh where he was born. Though his works form 80s and 90s are far from representational, the concept of nature remains pervasive and integral to their composition. This work, entitled Bhoomi, or earth, melds the chevron design used by Raza to indicate forests and trees with the bindu, or black point, variously interpreted as zero, drop, seed, or sperm, and is the genesis of creation. The bindu is also the focal point for meditation and the principle around which Raza structures many of his canvases. According to Raza, his work is the "...result of two parallel enquiries. Firstly, it is aimed at pure plastic order. Secondly, it concerns nature. Both have converged into a single point. The bindu symbolizes the seed, bearing the potential for all life. It is also a visible form containing all the requisites of line, tone, color, texture and space." (Artists Today: East West Visual Encounter, Marg Publications, Bombay, 1985, p. 18).

hoomi is a magnificent example of the way Raza can manipulate basic color and line to create work to embody the universal