Exile to exhibition: DAG to bring M.F. Husain’s works for Art Dubai
- 05 Apr 2025
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
"At the upcoming edition of Art Dubai, we at DAG (India’s premier private art company), are pleased to spotlight India’s foremost modernist M. F. Husain in a solo presentation as a homecoming of this great artist to a city he called his second home,” says Shivani Benjamin, DAG Head of Marketing. “Having only recently celebrated his legacy with a large retrospective exhibition at our galleries in New Delhi and Mumbai, it seemed appropriate that we curate an eclectic but powerful selection of his works for showing at Art Dubai 2025 (Booth M3) to be held at Madinat Jumeirah from 16-20 April.”
Those familiar with Husain’s style, says Shivani, will recognise his characteristic expressive brushstrokes “even though the chosen works are unusual and exemplify his genius at storytelling through his compositions and use of colours.” The handpicked selection is an acknowledgement of the quality of paintings he produced during his prolific and long career and represent some of the finest modern art produced in India during the second half of the twentieth century. The artworks showcase Husain’s versatility across various mediums and affirm his status as a critically acclaimed, popular artist; the Art Dubai initiative covers predominant themes such as women, rural and urban life, and of course, his iconic horses.
Husain’s syncretic vision of a nation is also highlighted; the selected pieces blend the diverse landscapes, sacred traditions, and philosophies of his works. In 2006, when Husain left India, self-exiling himself from the country of his birth, he headed first to the only other place he had called home — Dubai. Over the years, Dubai had become a familiar destination and Husain, who liked the finer things in life as much as he liked his streetside glass of chai (tea), had grown inordinately fond of the city. Its friendly nature and people appealed to him as much as the Hindi and other Indian languages he heard there, amidst the tangle of expatriate voices.
That his son Owais had a home there too, helped. Ashish Anand, CEO & MD of DAG, notes: “A true and everlasting icon, Husain needs no introduction in the world of art. His larger-than-life persona was matched by the deep relationships he formed throughout his career. His approachability and accessibility made him a much-loved figure, not just among art connoisseurs but also for the common man — all of whom shared an interest in his life as much as in his art. His eccentricities — such as walking barefoot, live painting performances at classical concerts, his practice of painting in homes he visited, hotels he stayed at, restaurants he ate in — added to his unique and charismatic personality.
“This persona, perhaps a conscious construct, complemented his seminal art.” Husain had been peripatetic all his life, travelling as much on whim as on work. While Dubai beckoned, he also enjoyed his frequent visits to London, where he passed away in 2011, after accepting Qatari citizenship. In Dubai, he turned his studio into a gallery, met visitors, painted and forged a bond with its people that has survived to this day. The friends who remember him and support his works here are numerous.
Undoubtedly the most celebrated and influential figure in modern Indian art, Husain captured the rhythm of a changing world — chronicling the British Raj, the birth of the Indian nation, and the many journeys that followed, both in national and personal life. His canvases became repositories of the people he encountered, the lands he wandered in, and the histories he lived. It resulted in each stroke becoming alive with memory and movement. A genuine savant of the arts, Husain’s interests spanned poetry, cinema, and music — no medium was left untouched by the brilliance of his art, his craft skills and creative enterprise.
Established in 1993 as an art gallery, DAG is now one of India’s leading art companies possessing a comprehensive collection, starting from the eighteenth century onwards. From acknowledging recognised masters to restoring the legacies of generations of artists marginalised over time, from acquiring the custodianship of artists’ studios and estates to bringing back to India works associated with Indian art and heritage from overseas, DAG revisits the history of three centuries of Indian art practice with a roster of artworks which, taken together, comprehensively tell the story of Indian art. DAG’S iconic exhibitions provide historical overviews while also bringing to light important artists neglected through the passage of time, even as they document art movements and collectives. DAG has a rigorous publishing calendar and an impressive library of books that documents Indian art history; a programme focused at engaging the public that democratises outreach; commissioning of videos and films; and intense engagements with artists, critics and the art community at large. The company collaborates with institutions and museums, by organising public-private museum exhibitions such as those held at Delhi’s Red Fort (Drishyakala) and Kolkata’s Old Currency Building (Ghare Baire), with the Archaeological Survey of India.
The exhibitions ran for three and two years, respectively; they won wide appreciation and were regarded as immeasurably contributing to the art ecology. DAG recently acquired Indian painter Jamini Roy’s studio-cum-house in Kolkata, and is in the process of setting up its first single-artist museum dedicated to the National Treasure artist. DAG has galleries in Mumbai, New Delhi and New York.