Maqbool Fida Husain, born in 1913 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, emerged as one of India’s most celebrated modern artists. Entirely self-taught, he moved to Mumbai in 1937 with a firm resolve to build a life in painting. His artistic journey gained momentum in 1948 when F. N. Souza invited him to join the Progressive Artists’ Group, a collective that would go on to redefine the direction of modern Indian art.

In his early years in Mumbai, Husain supported himself by painting film hoardings and creating designs for toys and furniture. These practical beginnings shaped his understanding of form, scale, and bold visual language. Once he embraced painting as his chosen medium, he consistently drew inspiration from his cultural origins. His work frequently revisited folk and tribal aesthetics, weaving them together with Indian mythology to create a dynamic and contemporary visual vocabulary. The vibrancy of his colours, the confidence of his lines, and the immediacy of his subjects all played a role in establishing his distinctive artistic identity.

Husain’s public persona grew alongside his artistic reputation. His approach to subjects, often iconic figures from Indian culture, captured not just likeness but spirit. Whether portraying Mother Teresa or characters from the Mahabharata, he sought to express the deeper emotional and symbolic essence of his subjects. His bold reinterpretations brought traditional motifs into the modern era, making them accessible to audiences in India and abroad.

Over the decades, Husain became virtually synonymous with modern Indian art. Few artists have been able to popularise Indian aesthetics, both nationally and internationally, with the same impact. His lifelong search for cultural meaning, combined with an openness to varied global influences, helped shape a visual language that was at once deeply Indian and unmistakably contemporary. His contributions made him one of the most recognisable and influential artistic figures of his time.

Beyond painting, Husain also ventured into cinema. His 1967 short film Through the Eyes of a Painter won the prestigious Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, demonstrating his creative versatility. Later, in 2000, he directed the feature film Gajagamini. In recognition of his immense contribution to the arts, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. Husain continued to work tirelessly until his passing in London in 2011, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape the course of Indian modernism.