Over the last five decades, Maqbool Fida Husain has experimented with various media including painting, poetry, films, print making, sculpture and photography.
Born in Pandharpur, Maharashtra in 1915, Husain moved to Mumbai in 1937 where he sustained himself by painting enormous cinema hoardings and designing furniture and toys.
A self-taught artist, Husain’s in-depth observation and interpretation of folk and classical Indian art was his hallmark, as he was invited to join the Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947 by Francis Newton Souza after his first public exhibition of paintings.
Husain was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament, India in 1986-92, during which he pictorially recorded the events of the Upper House, which were then published in 1994.
The Government of India awarded him with a Padma Shri in 1966, a Padma Bhushan in 1973 and Padma Vibhushana.
In 1971 Husain was invited to exhibit as a special invitee with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil. He has exhibited in numerous salons, triennales and biennales, Saffronart and Pundole art gallery, New York 2001 and 2002.
For his 88th birthday in 2003 the artist created a special series of 88 paintings that were exhibited in various cities across India and internationally. The prints of paintings were also reproduced in a limited edition book.
A great admirer of Indian actress Madhuri Dixit, Hussain also produced a film ‘Gajgamini’. No doubt, the heroine of the film was Madhuri.
