M.F. Husain

M.F. Hussain (1913- 2011) is no less than a cult figure in the world of Indian modern art. One of the most well known and internationally recognized Indian modernists, Hussain was also one of the founders of the famous avant-garde Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG). Hussain’s artworks are a sort of microcosm of his life and persona – brimming with infectious energy, topsy-turvy, edgy, restless, and never static. Embodying beautiful ironies and contradictions of a changing nation, there is no attempt at toning down the flux and chaos in his oeuvre. Rather, it is energetic, playful, imaginative, bizarre and aesthetically honest that becomes emblematic of a refreshed visual vocabulary of Indian modernism.

Born in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, Maqbool Fida Hussain did not have a formal education in art. His passion for painting bought him to Mumbai in 1937. Noticed by FN Souza, he was immediately invited to become a part of the PAG in 1948. During his time in Mumbai, he undertook commercial work for livelihood, including making toys, furniture designs and painting billboards or posters for films.

Hussain would often paint by spreading his canvases on the floor and walking barefoot. The vibrancy, dynamism, rebellious streak and rich imagination of his artworks mirror his life’s extravagance. His works are magnum opuses, straddling a riotous and bizarre world of Hindu deities, characters from ancient Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana along with the entire paraphernalia of the country’s thriving life spirit and its modern pop culture.

Hussain’s source of inspiration is essentially his roots as he integrated traditional Indian art forms like folk, mythological and tribal to create contemporary expressions. Hussain also made several feature films such as Through the Eyes of a Painter and Gajagamini. 

M.F. Hussain exhibited extensively in India and abroad, and still remains one of the top-selling Indian modern artists. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan awards by the government of India.