Important Notice

The Bindu series from the 1980s represent a significant phase in Raza's artistic trajectory. It signifies a conclusive point in the artist's journey back to his roots. Raza's frequent trips to India since the 1970s navigated his perennial interaction with nature towards an enquiry about the ultimate universal truth. The Bindu manifests his findings- symbolizing the life giving, pulsating node of energy-the never-ending source of the universal... The Bindu series from the 1980s represent a significant phase in Raza's artistic trajectory. It signifies a conclusive point in the artist's journey back to his roots. Raza's frequent trips to India since the 1970s navigated his perennial interaction with nature towards an enquiry about the ultimate universal truth. The Bindu manifests his findings- symbolizing the life giving, pulsating node of energy-the never-ending source of the universal force-which both creates and destructs.

Raza's interpretation of the Bindu is multifaceted. Representing the life-giving force and flow of cosmic energy, here it manifests itself as the naad- the universal sound that vibrates through the cosmos. In the present work, the duality of the field of energy, absorbing and also dispelling force, is emphasised by the use of the minilamist palette of black, white and grey, rendered in concentric circles and stark blank picture planes. In the lower register is an inscription, inviting the viewer to centre their minds on the the focal point- the bindu, much like his teacher had asked of him decades ago.

The present work is stripped of the vibrant colours characteristic of Raza's oeuvre. The black space held a significant meaning in the artist's narrative. "The obscure black space is charged with latent force aspiring to fulfillment. Like the universal order of the 'earth-seed' relationship, the original form of the Bindu emerges and unfolds itself in black space. All inherent forces unite. A vertical line intersects a horizontal line, engendering energy and light. Space is charged. Contours appear, and colours: white, yellow, red and blue and along with the original black, they compose the colour spectrum of the visible world." (Geeti Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi: Media Transasia Ltd., p159)

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