SH Raza’s legacy lives on

It’s been a year since famed Indian artist SH Raza’s death on July 23. A legend in the true sense of the word, he popularised Indian concepts and iconography globally and built an impressive legacy of modern art.

He passed away at the age of 94 after a prolonged illness but his luminous legacy remains undminished, thanks to the Raza Foundation that the artist himself established.

The Foundation was set up in 2001 with the aim of promoting visual arts, poetry and music, among others. Initially, there were only three founding trustees — Raza, Arun Vadehra (of Vadehra Art Gallery) and poet and critic Ashok Vajpeyi.

The generosity of the artist was such that even after funding the organisation, he did not wish his name to be used. It was Vajpeyi who had to convince Raza to allow his name in the Foundation’s title. 

“He was such a genuine and simple man... It took me three days to persuade him before he agreed,” Vajpeyi, the Foundation’s current managing trustee, shared. — IANS