There is no one better to answer these questions and more on the future of Indian art in the international arena than Syed Husain Raza, who has lived and earned a living and a formidable reputation in Europe, from Paris, his home for the last 50 years. The legendary 80-year-old artist is sharp, astute and extremely patient as he explores and explains where Indian art is going. Excerpts from an interview:

• Do you believe Indian art is confined only to NRIs or do you think it has attracted the mainstream art community too?
The history of contemporary Indian painting has been a fascinating adventure and I can say with all modesty that I’ve been involved with it in the last 60 years. I’ve seen Indian painting go from strength to strength ever since I came to Mumbai in 1943. Before we talk about the appeal of modern Indian art, its importance and relevance today in the world, you have to first see the journey we undertook, the influences on our works and our expression.

• Does the global market relate to ‘content’ or is it just something ‘exotic’ coming out of India?
Let me talk of my experience in search for ‘content.’ As a student of JJ School of Art, I had to choose between European art or traditional Indian art and parallel works were being done in both directions. Though we had total freedom, we had to search for our vision. By 1948, Ara, Souza, Husain and I founded the Progressive Artists Group (the group made a vital contribution to the contemporary art movement in India by consciously seeking a new form which could describe the new, independent Indian reality) but we were still searching, enquiring and all our energies went into research and painting. Though we went to our sources like the Ajanta, Elephanta Caves, Mathura, Madurai... contemporary European art also attracted me.

Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Celebration’ which fetched $317,000

I decided to take the bull by its horns and went to France, Spain and England. Thus began the period of my external journey, to learn from those sources which were vital to my scholarship. I realised gradually that you have to give years of concentrated work to reach a personal vision which is very important in any body of work.

• Did the West pay attention to your philosophy of work?
The external journey took 15 years and I found enormous success in France and Europe but I was not satisfied, something was missing. Then I knew, I had to seek the inner journey, to seek my Indian sensibilities, my roots, my birthplace, my genetics... I spring from there, I had to go back to my own sources.

I found and concentrated on the theme of Bindu, the primordial symbol of the visual arts, just like Om is for music... I worked on it and other themes like Raj, Sansar. I think it’s extremely important for me and for Indian painters to go for Indian themes in our research because our living culture is extremely rich.

• So, when did ‘Indian’ artists begin to attract attention?
It is with our success in galleries abroad that awareness of Indian art grew in the media at home and abroad. But international recognition was slow and the last three decades have been insignificant. The last four-five years, however, a strange thing happened where exhibitions and auctions like Christie’s and Sotheby’s created a stir by commanding high prices for modern Indian art.

• But you do not see frantic buying of Indian art in the global market. Young Mexican and Brazilian artists fetch twice as much as a senior artist like Tyeb Mehta.
There are certain advantages in being near America! I think Indian art is achieving reasonably good prices. It’s a slow process... let’s go slow. Ours is a relatively poor country, if decent prices are coming, I’m very happy. Ultimately, justice is done to good art. Look at Gaitonde, he is now fetching great price without opening his mouth.

• How do you suggest that Indian art attracts more than just NRIs?
Yes, it is the Indian diaspora that buys a lot of modern Indian art. I get nearly 10 demands a week which also include American dealers, I may add. I’m not a businessman but if art becomes merchandise, then it is time that patrons realised that funds are as important as their vision to promote Indian art and artists. Indian industrialists must invest more, there is also not enough investment in exhibitions, reproductions, cataloguing and publishing books on modern Indian art. Galleries must promote artists on a regular basis and whip up excitement among buyers. There should be books on Indian philosophy, thought and culture side by side. When Francis Bacon is shown in London, there are lectures, lavish publications, launches etc. Where are the curators here?

• What do you attribute to the success of Indian artists living abroad like Anish Kapoor and Sujata Bajaj? Is it promotion, content or sheer luck?
I think the most important and significant works in Indian art are being done by the present generation of artists and their works can be exhibited in any museum in the world today. Both Sujata and Anish represent a generation of great hope for modern Indian art which is at its best now. There is also Natwar Bhavsar who is India’s most important artist in New York. Indian art is deeply rooted in Indian tradition yet it is in pace with science and technology.

• What do you think Indian artists should project to the world?
Top Indian artists should not be inflated with the success they see today. As a senior artist, I would say do not fall prey to exhibitions, sales or markets. Art is an expression of the inner self. Instead, they should concentrate on themselves, experience life, and do the best work of their lifetime. Their last important canvasses should be their masterpieces. It is what I endeavour to do today.