Catalogue of solo exhibition by M.F. Husain, one of India's most renowned modern artists. The exhibition focusses on his early paintings in an attempt to uncover his rich and varied sources of inspiration. Yashodhara Dalmia wrote, 'It was in the early years, that Maqbool Fida Husain created the essential idiom for his art and it provided him with the navigational resources for his later journey. The layered vocabulary of his paintings, as complex as India itself, also set the tone for his preoccupation which was to tap the pulse of a nation in its making, viewing it from the street as it were. In doing so he virtually re-invented India and he continues to do this at each stage of his art.' Images of works are accompanied by individual texts. Artist biography is also included in the catalogue.

Attached is a letter from the exhibition co-ordinator 'Amrita & Mallika', about an email from an organisation called Hindu Human Rights, requesting that the exhibition be 'removed' as Husain had "hurt the sentiments of Hindus by portraying Hindu Gods and Goddesses in obscene sexual acts'. On May 20th a youth entered the gallery and sprayed paint on two of the artworks, causing the exhibition to be temporarily closed. And as insurance cover for the exhibition was withdrawn and as Asia House could not gurantee the security of the paintings, it was decided that the exhibition would remain closed. As a result, this catalogue is the only record of what is the artists only solo exhibition in a non-commercial space in the UK.
Access level

Onsite

Location code
MON.HUM
Language

English

Publication/Creation date

2006

No of copies

1

Content type

artist monograph, 

catalogue

Chapter headings

M.F. Husain: Re-inventing India - Yashodhara DALMIA

M.F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s-70s
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M.F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s-70s

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