Since Saturday, June 9th, two public tributes
have been held in Mumbai to mark the first death anniversary of Maqbool Fida
Husain, commonly known simply as MF Husain. The commemorations have sought to
celebrate arguably the most recognized Indian artist in the world who, in
addition to honors as diverse and considerable as his art, has won admiration
for his unyielding élan. But the first death anniversary also possessed the
uneasy shadow of that great Indian shame and the events surrounding it. In
pandering to religious zealotry, India had expelled Husain in his final years.
TAO ART GALLERY EXHIBIT:
On the evening of the anniversary, Tao Art Gallery launched
an exhibit titled Imaging a Legend: A
tribute to MF Husain. A collection of images illustrates Husain’s
idiosyncrasies, charms, and brilliance. The pictures capture, for instance,
various among Husain’s well-known physical aspects. The long paintbrush he
carried and used as a walking-cane finds its way; his elegant sartorial
preferences are on display, as is his penchant for avoiding footwear. The
images capture various intimate moments of the artist. Some, for instance,
illustrate his childhood self, and others display his more evolved form at his
nighty-fifth birthday.
Pictures depict Husain at work. He seems equally engaged
with the canvas and brush at public stages, studios, and even a cricket
stadium. Some photographs capture the artist with long-held associations: for
instance Madhuri Dixit, his longtime inspiration, as well as his paintings of
the equestrian form. There are pictures, as well, that present Husain in scenes
and with personalities one would not commonly expect. One, for instance,
captures him alongside Indira Gandhi.
Even as the pictures are eclectic, they possess at least one
constant: Husain’s vigor for and celebration of life. A picture depicting a
smiling Husain by his red Ferrari epitomizes the youthful exuberance that runs
through all the pictures.
The exhibit’s curator, Niyati Shinde, who knew Husain for
several years, planned the tribute with a specific purpose. “I’m a
photo-historian, and the aim was to mark his memory,” she said. The idea behind
the exhibit, she continued, is to “bring together carefully taken pictures of
him.” The exhibit displays images from more than fifteen photographers.
Shinde has also had to keep in mind possible concerns. The
gallery has received threat mail over the exhibit. Since the time Husain put
brush to compromising interpretations of various Hindu deities, several Hindu
groups have targeted events associated with Husain. One such instance took
place at an event in Goa, two years ago, also organized by Shinde. Concerns
over untoward responses to the present exhibit led Shinde to refrain from
publicizing it too widely. “We purposely did not organize a wine and cheese
gathering,” she joked, “though he (Husain) would have liked red wine to have
been there.”
****
JOY SHOES’ TRIBUTE:
Husain won hearts and designed places one would not commonly
associate with him. Who would have guessed, for instance, that the design,
lighting, and artwork of Joy Shoes, a shoe store in the Taj Palace Hotel,
Mumbai, was all done by Husain? Every aspect of the shoe store seems to have a
story associated with him. Munna Jhaveri, the owner of Joy Shoes, chuckles when
asked about the footprint inscribed at the entrance to the store. “Oh, that is
an old one. I took his footprints in 2004.”
Jhaveri and Husain were friends of forty years. “He offered
to design the shop,” Jhaveri recounts. “I was shocked,” he exclaims, and then
laughs. The shop in its present form is entirely Husain’s work. Jhaveri
reminisces over Husain’s personable disposition. “He said let me do whatever I
want with the store and then you would be at liberty to demolish it.”
To commemorate Husain’s first death anniversary, Jhaveri has
been at work on sculptures depicting Husain. Two are ready, and on display at
the store. Both are tributes to actual events. The first represents Husain with
a nail and hammer in hand; while designing the store, Husain had insisted on
personally nailing his artwork to the store’s walls. The second portrays Husain
with his knees to the ground, crafting a sculpture on dancing girls; Husain
often conducted his work with knees to the ground and Joy Shoes contains the
sculpture on dancing girls.
When asked whether he had to endure any threats for
commemorating Husain, Jhaveri dismissed the matter. “This controversy is almost
finished. It’s not there now. It wasn’t there before also. No one cares.”
****
Evidence, unfortunately, suggests otherwise. That only two
public tributes were held for Husain in India’s most cosmopolitan city, of
which one received threats, suggests various things. The one thing we can be
sure about is that extremists are winning. Fear of extremists has increasingly
silenced many among those who believe in aesthetic beauty and freedom of
expression for their own sake. India had expelled some of its heritage when it
expelled Husain from the country. Today, given the broadly muted response to
his death anniversary, India should understand that it is increasingly allowing
itself to be influenced not by its heritage, but by philistines such as those
who threatened the Husain tribute at Tao.
Imaging a Legend: A
tribute to MF Husain is open at the Tao Art Gallery up till June 24. It can
be viewed everyday from 11am to 7pm. Munna Jhaveri at Joy Shoes is looking to
put for sale a limited edition of his sculptures on Husain. While he has not
finalized details, he is confident that the idea will be well received.
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