Never mind, says MF Husain

Husain has played down the exclusion of his works from the India Art Summit.

New Delhi: Eminent artist MF Husain has played down the exclusion of his works from the upcoming India Art Summit for the second consecutive year, saying it is all part of a 15-year-long struggle. “My struggle has been going on for the last 15 years, with over 800 cases, and only one of them has reached some resolution in the Supreme Court,” Mr Husain told Neha Kirpal, Associate Director, India Art Summit (IAS).

The IAS, touted as the country’s largest art fair, had not showcased Mr Husain’s works in its debut in August 2008, citing security reasons. The artist’s paintings in the past of Hindu gods have hurt the sentiments of some people, who flayed his work and even attacked his house. He is currently living in self-exile in Dubai and London. “I totally understand the situation at the art summit, as this is nothing new. The entire art world has been facing this problem for years now,” Mr Husain said. The Supreme Court refused to initiate criminal proceedings against him in September 2008, for allegedly hurting public sentiment through some of his paintings that were dubbed obscene. “I am told that in the last four years, nobody has done any show of Mr. Husain in the country,” Ms. Kirpal told reporters. In 2008, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) ran a parallel exhibition of reproductions of MF Husain paintings after the IAS refused to showcase his works. “I understand that without the support of the State and complete police protection, it is impossible to show my art in the fair,” said Mr Husain. The four-day IAS begins here on August 19 and will host over 54 art galleries from 11 countries. Bureau Report