'Luminous Legacy': Exhibition to commemorate 75th anniversary of Progressive Artists' Group

New Delhi: An art exhibition here will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Progressive Artists' Group by showcasing works by its founding members, including MF Husain, SH Raza, FN Souz, KH Ara, HA Gade and SK Bakre.

Organised by Raza Foundation and Triveni Kala Sangam, 'Luminous Legacy' will feature 30 rare artworks from the early years of the master modernist painters.

With a preview on June 29, the exhibition will be showcased in Shridharani Art Gallery and Triveni Gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam.

The works, reflecting the spirit of independence and plurality, will take the visitors to the bygone era of the 1940s and later decades, when India as a nation began taking determined strides to create a secular and free India.

"The PAG had a plural vision of art: It accommodated different styles, idioms, art practices, and aesthetic approaches... The show is a modest attempt to underline their continuing presence and relevance," Ashok Vajpeyi, managing trustee, Raza Foundation, said.

Founded months after independence in 1947, the Progressive Artists' Group in Mumbai was one of the path-breaking initiatives in the history of Modern Indian art.

"While it endeavoured to seek and articulate a modern Indian vision of art, rooted and open, liberated from the dominant Western endemism and traditional schools, it also manifested the irrepressible plurality of styles, idioms, and art practices. Many other important artists such as Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna, VS Gaitonde, and Akbar Padamsee joined the original six founders of the PAG. Together they constitute the most luminous galaxy of masters in a single group. Unprecedented and unsurpassed," the organisers said.

The show will come to an end on July 10.