Now, MF Husain, Raza on carpets

Artworks by Raza, Husain are available as hand woven designer carpets now.

New Delhi: Select artworks by top selling Indian art masters SH Raza, MF Husain are now available as hand woven designer carpets in limited editions that would be sold to raise funds for building two new animal hospitals.

A total of 25 artists along with seven fashion stalwarts such as Rohit Bal and Manish Arora have lent their works for the "Fly your carpet to your walls" fundraising project of Maneka Gandhi`s NGO People for Animals (PFA). "We do something exclusive every year to raise funds for our NGO. This time all the best artists of the country have given us their works which have been reproduced on carpets," Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson, PFA told PTI during a preview here. A total of 40 artworks reproduced in limited editions of 20 carpets each begin at Rs 35,000 each and go up to Rs 5 lakh for works by Raza and Husain, the most expensive artists. The carpets would be exhibited in the capital between August 27- August 29. "These carpets are hand-woven and each of them carry an authentication certificate from the painter. So you can get an original Raza which costs crores, for around 5 lakh," says Gandhi. The money raised through sales would go to building two new veterinary hospitals one in New Delhi and another in Mysore. Presently the PFA operates a total of 26 animal hospitals and shelters in the country. "I call them floor art. The artists have given us their designs and we have worked with master weavers on museum quality carpets that can also be hung on the walls. It could be said as a new form of art," says Sunil Sethi, President Fashion Design Council of India and Vice Chairman All India Handloom Board. "Only two works, one each by Husain and Manjit Bawa, with images of religious deities, are only to be hung on the wall," he says adding that Husain is the only artist who has not seen his paintings woven on the carpet. Fashion designer Madhu Jain whose traditional Andhra motif design "Dance of the bulls" along with model Milind Soman is featured among the carpets says, "We take up very unusual projects and this is like a musuem masterpiece. The proceeds will go for a good cause." Featured artists in the initiative are S H Raza, M F Husain, Ram Kumar, Jehangir Sabavala and Manjit Bawa, T Vaikuntam, Chitravanu Mazumdar, Paresh Maity, Manu Parekh, Sujata Bajaj among others. Younger artists such as G R Iranna, Thukral and Tagra and Binoy Varghese are also showcased. Designers whose designs have been reproduced include Manish Arora, Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap Singh, J J Valaya, Rityu Kumar, Sabysachi Mukherjee and Madhuy Jain. PTI ANS