Immerse in MF Husain's artworks at this unique exhibition in Mumbai

He was well read unique mercurial even controversial and odd Over his lifetime Maqbool Fida Husain was given many sobriquets and adjectives but he could never be ignored Almost 15 years since his passing his work evokes a similar response It is this multihued personality and his long work that is at the centre of DAGrsquos retrospective Husain The Timeless Modernist that opens in Colaba todayMF Husain painting the architectural marvel Amdavad ni Gufa mdash a collaborative effort of the artist and architect BV Doshi The construction of the gallery began in 1992 and was completed in 1995For Ashish Anand CEO and MD DAG formerly Delhi Art Gallery the scale of the exhibition reflects the dominance of Husain on modern Indian art ldquoHusain has been the face of Indian modernism for much of the twentieth century the one artist everyone seems to know and recognise and whose work is on almost every collectorrsquos wish list A retrospective on him was long due and the surprise is that no one else had done this earlierrdquo he explainsMF Husain possibly photographed at his residence in MumbaiWhile the exhibition first opened in New Delhi in October 2024 Anand points out that the foundation was laid earlier ldquoWersquod done a curtain raiser of sorts with Master Maqbool an exhibition of Husainrsquos works in Mumbai in 2023 His association with Mumbai is inextricable and this was our ode to that relationship between the artist and the cityrdquo he notesA signed sketch by MF HusainThis relationship emerges through over 100 works that span six decades and multiple mediums Anand explains that the gallery built the collection over painstaking searches through several years ldquoIt was challenging but rewarding searching for works of high quality across a range of his mediums mdash some of which have never been showed before We hope the Mumbai iteration will translate into the same level of anticipation for the artist who was created by it and celebrated here throughout his career and well beyond itrdquo The exhibition also includes some of his rare sketches including the concept designs for industrialist DK Modirsquos homeInvocation of Peace oil on canvas 1969Through it all there is also a glimpse of the artistrsquos inquisitive intelligence constantly engaged with ideas from the past and the future From watercolours to toys to prints the works capture his playfulness and dynamism These include archival works such as poetry manuscripts from the late 1950s as well as invitations preparatory drawings and photographsHumanism Chine colleacute on paper 1990There is another reason for Husainrsquos deep impact in Indian modernism Born in Pandharpur Maharashtra the artist exploded into public consciousness after Indiarsquos Independence It was also in this period that he joined hands with FN Souza SH Raza KN Ara and others to found the Progressive Artistsrsquo Group PAGThe artist with Madhuri Dixit at an exhibition of his works in MumbaiAnand remarks that it was inevitable that the exhibition also explore Husainrsquos works as a translation of Indiarsquos history ldquoAn artistrsquos genius ultimately lies in his or her longevity the ability to be relevant not just in the course of their lifetime but for generations to come mdash a box that Husain ticks comfortably From the founding of the Progressive Artistsrsquo Group till now he has remained at the forefront of Indiarsquos modern art movement His contexts might be Indian but they are simultaneously humanitarian and universalrdquo For the next month the maestro will return to the island city where he once roamed bare footFrom Today to April 25 11 am to 7 pmAt DAG Gallery The Taj Mahal Palace Apollo Bunder Colaba