Page 35 - Collectors Choice March 24
P. 35
Lot No. 24
A A RAIBA
1922 - 2016
LOSS OF COSMOS
42.5 x 33 in (108 x 83.8 cm)
Oil on canvas
1967
Signed & Dated: Bottom Centre
` 6,00,000 - 8,00,000 | $ 7,407 - 9,877
Provenance: Property from a collection based in New Delhi.
This lot will be offered without a reserve.
Known for his bold shapes and bright colours, Abdul Aziz
Raiba was born in the year 1922 in the city of Bombay. He
enrolled in the J.J. School of Art in 1942 to study Indian Miniature
techniques and was known for using natural pigments made
using lemon and mango peel. He also preferred using scraps
of sarees and jute cloth as his canvas. His influence from the
miniature techniques can be seen more in his bold use of
colours, especially yellows and browns, rather than his form
and lines. He chose to deviate from the Miniature technique
by his uncharacteristic use of bold shapes and strong outlines.
Initially a part of the PAG, he soon disassociated himself with
the group to find his style. He visited Kashmir on the advice of
the renowned art critic Walter Langhammer and was heavily
influenced by the animal and folk motifs that he witnessed
here. The journey to Kashmir was monumental and led him
to move away from the miniature style of painting to large-
scale watercolours. So enamoured was he by the beauty
and landscape of Kashmir that he decided to settle there for
about 5 years. A.A. Raiba was also known for his large murals
commissioned by renowned clients such as Air India and the
Ashok Hotel in Delhi. The artist passed away in 2016 at the age
of 94 in Mumbai.