M. F. Husain

M. F. Husain, born on September 17, 1915, was a prominent Indian painter and film director renowned for his narrative paintings that blended a modified Cubist style with themes reflective of Indian culture and history. As one of the founding members of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, he played a pivotal role in the evolution of Indian modernism during the 1940s, drawing inspiration from the transformative period following the partition of India in 1947.

His artistic journey was marked by a diverse range of subjects, including iconic figures such as Gandhi and Mother Teresa, as well as epic tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Husain's works often carried a duality of humor and seriousness, engaging with both urban and rural motifs of Indian life. Notably, in September 2020, his painting titled Voices achieved a remarkable auction price of two point five million dollars, underscoring his lasting impact on the art world.

Despite his acclaim, Husain's later works sparked significant controversy, particularly due to his nude representations of Hindu deities and Bharat Mata. This led to calls for his arrest from right-wing organizations and multiple lawsuits alleging that he hurt religious sentiments. Consequently, he lived in self-imposed exile from 2006 until his passing in 2011, during which he accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010.

In addition to his painting career, Husain was also a filmmaker, receiving the National Film Award for Best Experimental Film in 1967 for his work Through the Eyes of a Painter. In 2004, he directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, collaborating with his artist son Owais Husain, which was showcased in the Marché du film section of the Cannes Film Festival.