M F Husain-His Paintings Make Him Live

M F Hussain, Picasso Of India

Great personalities from across the world always live amongst us in the form of their artworks. Be it any renowned author, dancer or a painter we can never forget them. https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/rags-to-riches-263467-2015-09-17 shares the stories of famous people who have literally gone from rags to riches! One such famous painter of the 20th century is Mr. M. F. Husain. Even till today, many Corporate event management companies showcase paintings made by M. F. Husain in their art shows. What great honor it is to live even after death. He is remembered as the "Picasso of India." He had international recognition and not just India. His paintings gave him his identity, but he was also a great printmaker, filmmaker,

photographer, and drawing maker.

Early Days

M F Hussain was born in British India and had an interest in art since his childhood. He learned the art of Kulfic khat with all its geometric shapes. He also practiced the art of calligraphy. Primarily he was a self-taught man; he needed no guidance as he was so passionate about painting since his childhood days. Initially, he worked as a poster designer for Bollywood movies. Graphic advertisements and posters gave him a breakthrough in his career. His turning point came post the independence of our country and when the partition happened. His work started getting recognized and appreciated during these times.

                  

M F Hussain came in touch with other artists of his kind and formed a progressive group in Bombay. Like many other artists who concentrate on a  particular theme, Mr. Husain never limited himself. His painting would cover diverse subjects from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata to the British Raj, Gandhi and Mother Teresa. He also made paintings about rural life and Indian urban life. Later some of his paintings related to Hindu deities attracted controversies due to which he went into a self-imposed exile for a while. Still, his artwork was never forgotten by the people.

Achievements

In the 1970s and 80s, he created some of the most memorable paintings like Passage through social space, Vishwamitra and many more. He continued his quest to make beautiful paintings till the mid-1970s. He also made various films in Bollywood in those times which were also a hit. His movie ‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’ in 1967 attracted appreciations in Berlin International Film Festival. He went to Europe for the first time in the 1950s where he had earned a lot of appreciations. He held his first solo art exhibition in Zurich.  He also met other famous artists over there like Matisse, Picasso, and Paul Klee.

Awards & Recognition

Mr. Paul Klee and Mr. M.F. Husain developed a reasonably good bond on knowing the rich knowledge Mr. Paul had about Indian culture. It is great how people belonging to different nations meet due to the common interest in an entirely new country. He was awarded the National Film Festival Award for "Through the Eyes of a Painter." He also received other national awards such as the prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Bhushan. His great works can never be forgotten. We still see some of his paintings in the art galleries that leave us nothing less than inspired.