Kundalini

In Kundalini the striking white center contrasts heavily with the black inner circle. In the late 1970's, Raza's style of painting changed dramatically. He began to use the elemental form of the circle as a starting point in his work. Raza's style bears some relation to the Abstract Expressionist work of Frank Stella and Jasper Johns. However Raza's work addresses a spiritual context. The Kundalini is the awakening of dormant energy and its principle is manifested in this painting as a pair of coiled snakes. It refers to the energy flowing in whirls at the base of the spine, whereby practicing asceticism, it ascends the body, eventually leading to enlightenment.