From Souza to Today: How Indian Modernism Inspires Contemporary Abstraction
Discover how Ritu Raj continues the legacy of Indian modernists like F.N. Souza and Husain while redefining contemporary abstraction.
When we think of modern Indian art, few names resonate as strongly as F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, and J. Swaminathan. As pioneers of the Progressive Artists’ Group in post-independence India, they broke away from tradition and created bold, uncompromising works that fused modernism with cultural identity. Their legacy continues to shape the way artists approach abstraction today.
As a painter born in New Delhi and now based in Phoenix, I have always felt a deep connection to this history. Souza’s raw expressiveness, Husain’s dynamic forms, and Swaminathan’s metaphysical explorations are not simply distant references for me—they are part of the artistic vocabulary I grew up around. My father, K.B. Goel, was a noted art critic in India, and many of these modernists were not just names in books but presences in conversations and galleries I experienced as a child.
In my own practice, these influences surface in layered ways. The structural intensity of Souza appears in the fractured lines and assertive shapes that anchor many of my compositions. The lyricism of Husain can be felt in the rhythm of forms and the narrative energy embedded within abstraction. Swaminathan’s search for a universal visual language inspires my use of color and space as meditations on time and transformation.
Yet, my work is not simply an homage. Through experimentation with new techniques—painting with string instead of brushes, sculpting surfaces with CNC-molded wood panels—I seek to push these legacies forward. Just as the Progressives carved out a new language of Indian modernism, my own journey is to translate those roots into a global, contemporary dialogue.
For collectors and gallerists, this continuity matters. It situates my work within an esteemed historical lineage while also offering something unmistakably new. To collect contemporary abstraction today is to recognize how past movements echo into the present—and how artists like myself carry forward the conversation that Souza, Husain, and others began.
