M. F. Husain

M. F. Husain
Name	M. F. Husain
Birth date	17 September 1915
Death date	9 June 2011
Birth place	Pimpri (Pune), Bombay Presidency
Death place	London
Nationality	Indian
Known for	Painting, filmmaking
Movement	Progressive Artists' Group

M. F. Husain was an Indian painter and filmmaker associated with the Progressive Artists' Group and noted for modernist canvases that engaged with themes from Indian culture, Hindu mythology, Gandhian thought, and contemporary politics of India. He worked alongside contemporaries such as F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara, Tyeb Mehta, and received national and international attention from institutions including the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (India). His career intersected with patrons, critics, galleries, and governments including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and collectors from United Kingdom, United States, and the United Arab Emirates.

Early life and education

Husain was born in Pimpri (Pune) in the Bombay Presidency to a family of Khoja heritage and spent formative years in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra where his exposure to regional art, Persian miniature traditions, and folk narratives shaped his sensibility; his early schooling included time in Pune and work with local signwriters before moving to Bengal and Bombay to pursue painting. He worked as a painter of cinema hoardings for studios in Bombay and later joined the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group with peers F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, and K. H. Ara, receiving informal mentorship from art teachers associated with institutions such as the Sir JJ School of Art and exhibiting alongside artists from the Santiniketan circle and the Bengal School of Art.

Artistic career and style

Husain's style combined elements of Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and Indian folk models, taking inspiration from artists and movements including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, and the Progressive Artists' Group ethos; critics compared his figuration to work by Francis Bacon and linked his palette to Wassily Kandinsky. He frequently painted recurring subjects such as horses, Mother Teresa, Nargis, Madhuri Dixit, and mythic figures from Ramayana and Mahabharata alongside cinematic icons like Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan, engaging collectors across London, New York City, Dubai, and Hong Kong. Husain experimented with media ranging from oil on canvas to mixed media and film, collaborating with institutions like the National School of Drama, the Film Finance Corporation, and publishing houses in Mumbai.

Major works and exhibitions

Major series and works include the "Horses" canvases, the "Mother Teresa" portraits, and narratively charged pieces referencing the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; these were presented at exhibitions at venues such as the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Modern Art (India), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Carnegie International. Solo shows in London, New York City, Dubai, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and retrospectives organized by institutions including the Salar Jung Museum, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, and the Jehangir Art Gallery brought together collectors like Dhirubhai Ambani, Jamsetji Tata foundations, and patrons from the Guggenheim Museum network. His forays into cinema produced films such as "Through the Eyes of a Painter" which featured at festivals like the Cannes Film Festival and institutions such as the British Film Institute.

Controversies and legal issues

Husain's paintings of Hindu goddesses and representations of Bharat Mata led to public protests, complaints by organizations including the Shiv Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and litigants invoking statutes under Indian law; high-profile cases were heard in courts such as the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, and political figures including L. K. Advani and Bal Thackeray commented publicly. Debates over freedom of expression involved cultural institutions like the National Gallery of Modern Art (India), media outlets such as The Times of India, The Hindu, and international commentary from curators at the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art. Threats and legal judgments prompted cancellations of exhibitions in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata and attracted responses from artists' associations including the Kochi Biennale Foundation and academic figures from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Later life, exile, and death

Facing legal cases and safety concerns, Husain spent significant periods abroad in cities such as London, Doha, Dubai, and Qatar after accepting offers from patrons including members of the Qatari royal family; he reportedly held Qatari citizenship and retained ties with collectors and institutions across Europe and Asia. In later years he continued to paint, exhibit, and lecture at venues including Harvard University, Oxford University, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and art fairs in Basel and Hong Kong. He died in London on 9 June 2011; his death was noted by political leaders such as Manmohan Singh and cultural figures including Anish Kapoor and museum directors from the Tate and the National Gallery of Modern Art (India).

Legacy and influence

Husain's legacy is observed in the trajectories of contemporary Indian artists from the Progressive Artists' Group lineage such as Tyeb Mehta, Anjolie Ela Menon, Bhupen Khakhar, Atul Dodiya, and in institutional collections at the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (India). His work continues to be discussed in scholarship at universities including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University, University of Oxford, and through exhibitions at venues like the Salar Jung Museum, the Jehangir Art Gallery, and the Lalit Kala Akademi. Debates on art and secularism citing Husain involve commentators from the Supreme Court of India, writers at The Indian Express, and curators across the Guggenheim Museum and Tate networks, while his market presence persists in auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's and in collections owned by patrons like Dhirubhai Ambani and international museums.

Category:Indian painters