Celebrating M.F. Husain’s legacy: The Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha opens to public

Spread over 3,000 sq. m, Lawh Wa Qalam, which translates to “The Canvas and the Pen," traces Husain’s artistic trajectory from the 1950s until his death. Kholoud Al-Ali, executive director of community engagement and programming at the Qatar Foundation, says that while Husain is widely recognised across the region, the museum “aims to broaden that awareness and introduce his work to new audiences."

Husain’s design of a blue building with a white tower emblazoned with Arabic lettering has been brought to life by Indian architect Martand Khosla of the Romi Khosla Design Studio. Khosla says one of the questions a team of curators, architects and museographers grappled with was how to read Husain’s artwork—metaphorically or literally? In the end, a more literal approach was adopted but one that encompassed a syncretic, regional coming together of South, Central and West Asian influences. This is reflected in the use of blue ceramic tiles that cover the façade of the building instead of simply painting it blue.

The museum brings together over 150 artworks and personal objects that are under the custodianship of the Qatar Foundation, including sketches, films and archival materials. Entering the building, visitors are ushered into an immersive space with projections of Husain’s life and work, snippets of an interview as well as handwritten notes. A central staircase cleaves the museum into two blocks, blue and greyish-brown. The first floor of the building is dominated by large black and white photographs of the artist, by, among others, Habib Rahman and Parthiv Shah. One of Shah’s photographs captures Husain walking barefoot in Delhi’s Nizamuddin basti, earning him the moniker “barefoot artist." “These images were created over years of dialogue, trust and shared artistic curiosity. Seeing them now in this beautiful space brings back the energy and spontaneity that defined Husainsaab," states Shah.

Facing Shah’s photograph are an arresting series of acrylic and canvas works commemorating India’s independence. The figure of Mahatma Gandhi plays a prominent role in three panels from 1985 that once formed part of a monumental 100-foot-long painting: Jallianwala Bagh, Gandhiji and Dandi March and Quit India Movement. Paying tribute to Husain’s love for cinema is the film tower, where viewers can watch his experimental movies Through the Eyes of a Painter (1967), Gaja Gamini (2000), and Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004).

Discussing the challenges of curating the exhibition, curator Noof Mohammed explains, “The most challenging aspect was presenting Husain’s multidisciplinary practice in a clear and coherent way. But this was also the most rewarding aspect— finding ways to showcase how his work connected different cultures, histories, and traditions, and presenting his creative world in a way that comes alive, is deeply personal, and respects the sheer scope of Husain’s imagination."

Husain left India in 2006 and went into self-exile after he drew the ire of right wing forces ostensibly for his depiction of Hindu goddesses in the nude. He was subsequently commissioned by Sheikha Moza to create 99 paintings on Arab and Islamic civilisation, of which he completed over 35 before his death. One of the recurring motifs that bridges Husain’s practice both in India and Qatar is his hallmark horse. His frenzied and fractured quadrupeds—symbols of history, faith and myth—put in an appearance in several paintings, including the Thuljanah Horse and the Battle of Badr. But they are truly given a place of pride in his final, large-scale multimedia, kinetic installation Seeroo fi al ardh (Travel through the Earth).