Qatar will soon be home to the world's first museum entirely dedicated to the renowned Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain, often called "India's Picasso." The Qatar Foundation will officially open the Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum in Doha on November 28, marking a significant milestone in celebrating the legacy of the barefoot artist who made Qatar his home after leaving India.
Husain's connection to Qatar began when he accepted the country's honorary citizenship in 2010, following his self-imposed exile from India. The celebrated artist had faced threats over his controversial paintings, ultimately leading him to seek refuge in Doha. He continued his artistic work until just weeks before his death in London in 2011, cementing his status as one of the most prolific and influential artists of his generation.
The museum's opening comes at a time when Husain's market value has reached unprecedented heights. Just months ago, his monumental work "Gram Yatra," which depicts 13 vignettes of rural life, sold for a record-breaking 118 crore rupees at Christie's New York. This sale established the piece as the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction, underscoring the global recognition of Husain's artistic contributions.
While the Christie's sale highlighted Husain's commercial success, the new Doha museum aims to showcase the full scope of his artistic legacy. The expansive facility, covering more than 3,000 square meters, will present various aspects of Husain's multidisciplinary practice through immersive storytelling techniques. Visitors will encounter not only his famous paintings but also his work in films, tapestry, photography, poetry, installations, and personal objects that reveal the artist's diverse creative interests.
"We set out to create a home that celebrates his multidisciplinary genius," explained Noof Mohammed, the museum's Curator and Project Manager. "Visitors can embark on a journey through his sketches, personal objects, and iconic and never-before-seen works, experiencing the spirit of an artist who never ceased to experiment. This museum allows visitors to encounter Husain as he lived: with the utmost curiosity and constantly in conversation with the world around him. Our hope is that every visitor will leave having been inspired and with a deep connection to the legacy of one of the greatest artists of our time."
The museum building itself represents a unique architectural collaboration that transcends time. Designed by New Delhi-based architect Martand Khosla, the structure is based on a drawing that Husain himself created for his own museum. Khosla, who previously designed the award-winning M.F. Husain Art Gallery at Jamia Millia Islamia University, described the project as an extraordinary opportunity. "It has been a privilege to have engaged in this imagined architectural discourse with Husain (through our interpretation of his drawing) as a collaborator – a shift from my own Indian modernist practice," he said.
Husain was renowned for his distinctive artistic style, particularly his cubist horses, mythological themes, and deep passion for cinema. His love for film was so profound that he once famously remarked in an interview: "Log kaam karne ke baad ghode bech kar sote hain, Main ghode bech kar film banata hoon" (People sleep like a horse after working their entire life and I sell horses to make films). This quote perfectly captures his philosophy of using art to fund his cinematic pursuits.
Among the museum's most significant highlights will be a series of paintings that Husain created specifically for Qatar. These works were commissioned by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and draw inspiration from Arab civilization. Husain managed to complete more than 35 of these culturally significant pieces before his death, and several of them will be prominently displayed in the new museum. Additionally, a dedicated gallery will showcase "Seeroo fi al ardh," Husain's final large-scale installation conceived in 2009, which powerfully depicts humanity's progress throughout history.
