In 1950, when a young S H Raza was leaving Mumbai for France to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts on a French government scholarship, the then 27-year-old was received at the Gare de Lyon station in Paris by artist Ram Kumar. Though Raza and Kumar often fondly recalled this instance, an exhibition at Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi shares the correspondence between the two friends that preceded the arrival.
In one such letter, Kumar expresses his excitement on receiving the news that Raza was travelling to Paris. He goes on to share how he celebrated with a “nice meal”, exhausting all his eggs and potatoes, and was keen to have beer but couldn’t due to the heavy rains. He suggests how Raza should pack his luggage and clothes, also requesting Lipton tea and coffee. “Here tea is very costly and black coffee is horrible,” he writes.
The handwritten letter, carefully preserved for years, forms part of the exhibition, “Correspondence”, that features letters shared between Raza and three of his closest friends — artists F N Souza, V S Gaitonde and Kumar — whose birth centenary falls this year.
“These letters are both personal and have larger implications with regard to the discussions they are having… They share insights into their personal lives, their take on their time, relationship with friends, fellow contemporaries and so on,” states Ashok Vajpeyi, Managing Trustee of The Raza Foundation, which has organised the exhibition in collaboration with Triveni Kala Sangam.
Featuring more than 35 letters, the conversations give a peek into the life and times of the artists, as well as the close bond shared between them.
In a letter dated February 17, 1950, Souza writes to Raza sharing how he was eagerly awaiting M F Husain’s letter accounting his exhibition; in another letter, he advises Raza to paint more in oils. In a letter, written in August 1964, Gaitonde informs Raza that he might be coming to Paris on a French government scholarship and requests him to find him a place to stay and paint.
Every time one of them went home, they brought back utilities for the other — Souza asks Raza to bring back pickles, cigarettes and 10-12 yards of thick cotton cloth to paint on during one of his trips to India.
Several of these letters were also addressed to the formidable Progressive Artists’ Group — one of the most significant artist collectives established in post-independence India — that these artists were associated with.
In a letter from the late ’40s, Souza mentions how he found the “contemporary stuff” produced in London at the time “banal and of not much value”. In another letter to Raza from 1949, he speaks of the magic of Pablo Picasso.
“What is remarkable about the Progressive Artists’ Group is that although they did not share their aesthetics, vision and style, they remained friends for life, and kept being concerned about each other and writing to each other,” states Vajpeyi.
There are also celebrations and obituaries. In a letter, Kumar congratulates Raza for receiving the prestigious Prix de la Critique, and in another, he also tells him about winning the National Lalit Kala Akademi award.
In a letter dated May 29, 1957, Raza congratulates Souza for the birth of “baby Newton”.
After the demise of Gaitonde on August 10, 2001, an emotional Raza in Gorbio (France) recalls the significant contributions of his dear friend, asserting how his work opened up new possibilities of a spiritual quest in art.
The exhibition is on till July 10.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 08-07-2024 at 05:33 IST
