Iconic artist Raza's death marked Indian art scene

The loss was felt across the country as both the Prime Minister and the President mourned the stalwart's death.

A mixed bag of veteran and new artists were showcased at the modern and contemporary fair (Photo: Twitter)

Mumbai: As the Indian art world faced a huge void with the death of iconic painter Syed Haider Raza, fellow artists, both veteran and emerging, took India to newer heights in 2016 with greater representation in national and international art fairs and biennales.

An era of modern art came to an end on July 23, 2016, as Raza, the last surviving founder of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group Movement, breathed his last at the age of 94, leaving behind towering legacy of contemporary art.
Raza created the 'Bindu',in which concentric circles emanating from an elusive centre, transcended numerous forms and colours to symbolise myriad moods of the painter, who refused to give up on his brush even as he neared his end.

The loss was felt across the country as both the Prime Minister and the President mourned the stalwart's death.

Meanwhile, Indian artists continued a "steady" international representation, with four galleries - Experimenter (Kolkata), Nature Morte and Vadehra Art Gallery (New Delhi) and Chemould Prescott Road, (Mumbai)- participating at the fourth edition of Hong Kong's Art Basel fair, which had 50 per cent representation from Asian and Asia-Pacific regions.

A mixed bag of veteran and new artists were showcased at the modern and contemporary fair, with leading artists like Ravinder Reddy, Atul and Anju Dodiya being represented