M.F Husain's death anniversary: Remembering the maverick painter

With M.F Husain’s death anniversary on 9th June, Rakshanda Hussain, granddaughter of M.F Husain recollects fond memories with her grandfather. Talking about MF Husain’s philosophy of life, she says that he was always energetic and his zest for life never died even towards the last days of his life. Husain had in-depth knowledge about history, philosophy and cinema and with this curiosity he would spend his time exploring new themes and used it in his own art.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Can you describe your relationship with your grandfather and the special bond you shared with him? How did you spend time with him and what were your favourite activities together?

I have fond memories of watching my grandfather paint. Our summer vacations entailed the entire family travelling to Mumbai to spend time at our family house. I would always be enamoured by what he was painting and would stay glued to his side throughout. My grandfather was extremely knowledgeable and I loved having conversations with him about everything under the sun be it books, art, movies or life.

In what ways did his practice inspire you? Did he impart any specific artistic knowledge or teach you how to paint?

His practice has inspired me in multiple ways. I remember a time when he had finished painting and had gone outside to wait for it to dry. I had been observing him paint the entire time and took a sheet of paper and colours to recreate his painting. When he came back and saw what I had made, he was visibly upset. He asked me to never copy anybody and to explore my own style. In my teenage years, he suggested reading Ways of Seeing by John Berger. One of his recurring lessons to us was to explore beyond what is presented to us and to interpret the essence in our own way. When I see his works now, I finally understand what he was trying to teach us about individuality.

Among his works, do you have any personal favourites? Can you recall a particular piece that holds a special significance to you?

One of his works that really fascinated me as a child in the 1990s was The Spider and the Lamp. Only later I realised that it is one of his most revered works.

Were you ever fortunate enough to witness your grandfather creating art? If so, could you share any anecdotes or memories from those occasions?

I saw my grandfather create art very often. An occasion that I remember vividly was when he had been asked to visit Kerala to execute paintings for a Kerala Tourism project. All of us surrounded him to watch him paint, but he suddenly paused and stood up. I happened to ask him if I could paint also, and without missing a beat he handed me the brush. To this day, I can recall which part of the painting was coloured by me.

How would you describe your grandfather’s philosophy of life? What were his core ideologies that have had a profound influence on you?

One of the many aspects I noticed about my grandfather was that throughout his life and even towards the end of it, he was constantly moving and never stayed still. He was extremely energetic and his zest for life is what helped us cope with his absence. He was a perennial learner and would always manage to find something that interested him. Interests such as history, philosophy and cinema among others piqued his curiosity and he would spend his time exploring new themes within them that he could use for his own art.

Did your grandfather have any close friends or relationships with fellow artists? Can you recount any instances of meeting them or witnessing their interactions?

He had friends around the world and would befriend people wherever he went, making sure that he continued to spend time with them. Although time had passed since the disbanding of the highly influential Progressive Artists’ group, he continued to stay in touch with and share a close bond with his fellow members. I remember him telling us about his close friendship with Krishen Khanna who he would drive down to meet in Shimla.

As his grandchild, you likely have unique insights and anecdotes about your grandfather. Is there anything in particular that only you know about him that you’d like to share?

Of the many anecdotes I remember, two distinctly stand out. One is him creating a rocking horse for me, which was later part of his exhibition called “ShivRak” – It was for children’s toys and furniture. Another is him creating my wedding invitation. He had initially made a different version which depicted sand dunes and palm trees, nothing like a typical wedding card. I remember him laughing at me being visibly perplexed, after which he decided to create another version. This beautiful new version featured a palanquin and horses and I cherish it to this day.

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