M.F Husain

M. F. Husain is perhaps one of the most widely known name of Indian art, he was flamboyant in his art, charismatic as a personality and he cultivated the image of the eccentric artist to perfection – walking barefoot, paintbrush as an accessory, his muses were leading actresses and early on in his life drove a car that was painted by him. For all that, he was soft spoken and affable and most importantly he was gifted as an artist and both the critics as well the general audience loved his works (or love to hate his work!). 

Therefore, it is no surprise that M F Husain was awarded a Padma Vibhushan (the second highest civilian award) by the Government of India in 1991, which was preceded by the Padma Bhushan in 1973, and the Padma Shri in 1955. However, his work became a reason for protest and vandalism, the ruckus raised over his depiction of Sarswati in his painting. What you must know is that the painting dates to 1970’s and the objections and criminal case was filed in 1996, this led to a series of protests. Then in 2004, Husain yet again faced censorship, this time it was from the Muslim groups – who raised objections over the lyrics of a song in his movie Meenaxi: A tale of two cities, which they claimed were direct words from the Quran, Husain was so enraged by this that he withdrew the film from cinemas. The movie was well received by the critics and won several awards internationally.

The outcome of the outcry - Husain was forced into a self-imposed exile from 2006, and reason was the criminal cases that were lodged against him. Husain passed away in 2011 aged 95 in London a year after he took the citizenship of Qatar. It is sad that for an artist whose art reflected the people of India for decades should have to leave that very cultural space. 

But there is more to Husain’s life than the controversy, he was a prolific painter with a distinctive style of painting – namely strong lines and vibrant colours which formed the core of his work be it the horses that he painted, or in the grand narratives dealing with the history and culture of India. Husain also had a knack to pick up the quiet moments which connected with the viewers – be it the act of a mother putting her child to sleep or women pounding grain – he was forever absorbing the world around him and translating it into his paintings. Another aspect to the personality of Husain is that he was well travelled and when in India he had homes in several cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad to name some.  

Husain’s works are found in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi the Tate Modern, London, moreover he also painted large scale murals for the Husain Doshi Gufa in Ahmedabad designed by architect as a space for performance and exhibitions. Did you know that the Indira Gandhi International Airport has a painting by Husain displayed in the Check in Hall – do make it a point to see it – you will have to crane your necks!