About M.F. Husain
Born on 17th September 1915
A self-taught artist, M. F. Husain was born in 1913 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. No other artist has popularised Indian art as much both domestically and abroad as M. F. Husain has; Maqbool Fida has practically come to be synonymous with modern Indian art. He is known for his unending pursuit of his cultural roots and his audacious openness to absorbing other influences.
He began his career by painting billboards for feature films and making furniture designs and toys to earn a living. And in 1948, he was invited by F N Souza to join the Progressive Artists' Group. He frequently kept going back to his roots and to subjects that combined folk, tribal, and mythological art to produce vibrantly modern, living art forms. His ascent to fame was influenced by both his style, presentation, and themes he explored. He portrayed historical figures from Indian culture, such as Mother Teresa, and characters from epics like the Mahabharata, in an effort to capture the essence of his themes.
Husain made feature films throughout the course of a seven-decade career, including Through the Eyes of a Painter in 1967, which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, and Gajagamini in 2000. The Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards, both high civilian honours, were given to him by the Indian government. In 2011, M.F Husain passed away in London. You can browse through our gallery of Serigraphs to see more of his artworks and paintings along with other famous serigraph artists.