Homecoming for Husain
FLASHBACK to the ‘80s, the smile of Maqbool Fida Husain that touched his eyes, crinkled his face with distinct lines. It is embedded in my memory. Pundole’s, then an art gallery at Flora Fountain, had sent out a tall invite ’88 of his exhibition, which he autographed for me. I also recalled the calendar Joy Shoes had given me around 1986 when I dutifully returned the images of the shoes that were loaned to me for my FPJ weekly column “Chic Pick.” Each month was illustrated with his horse-themed paintings. My princely Rs30 x 2.5 column payment per column, three months after publication, got me a Svede flat bag that cost Rs75. It still smells awesome.
Back to Husain The Timeless Modernist. . You have to hand it to DAG for putting together a representative retrospective for the late artist in exile. Welcome home, Husainsahab. It’s a great injustice that this exhibition seeks to redeem and reunite him with the city he loved and carved a map for modern art in India with his fellow Progressive protagonists.
I am going to revisit it to spend some quiet time with the artworks. Serendipitous that he and his protege Sujata Bajaj are showing in the Colaba art district at the same time. She reaching out to space in her present body of work and his art renditions from a secular creative DNA of the fabric of India.
Husain’s voluminous body of work was impacted by Indian independence in 1947 and also themes of leaders of India ranging from Mahatma Gandhi to Mother Teresa; myth, religion and Bollywood, which his brush has preserved for posterity. The billboard artist made news when he walked barefoot to Wellington Gymkhana and stayed his ground rather than conform. You respect the artist’s liberty, fundamental to maturity and mindful existence. We owe him for the permanence of expression of his present to preserve our past for us. Tatastu.
On till April 25, 2025.
Shifting Visions
THIS is a tribute to the creative fount that has given us a wealth of artists. The historic JJ College of Arts, which has birthed many an artist, hosts Shifting Visions: Teaching Modern Art at The Bombay School. The exhibition traces the emergence of the idea of a modern artist by origin for the first time using works and rare objects from their archives together with DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery). It is in the continuum of The City of Bombay as a Museum: Mumbai Edition 1 series, a collection that was on display at DAG Taj Palace Mumbai. It is a meticulous recording of the phenomenal inventory that the venerable institution holds.
Chief guest Pheroza Godrej’s mindful patronage is what the art world needs to nurture the space, an ethical beacon to retain the vision.
The exhibition is on view till March 23, 10 am to 6pm daily (except March 14 & 15).
SaffronArt Silver
THE SaffronArt’s incredible journey since 2011 has been built on pillars of credibility by the founders. The Vaziranis have elevated the auction segment in India to position fine art and set records that catapult visual art to evince global interest. The pioneering couple Dinesh and Minal are a distinctive force who have co-founded the SaffronArt Foundation to facilitate critical thinking at the intersection of art, culture and social change. They have given Mumbai its essential art fFair a need for the cradle city of creativity.
The celebratory 25th brings a double milestone. Minal has been appointed co-chair of the South Asia Acquisitions Committee for Tate Modern which also turns silver this 2025. She has also been re-appointed chair of the South Asia Committee at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC. Her role over the years to amplify the voices of South Asia landscape is the channel that is much needed in the trajectory of the region and to build the base of knowledge.
Culling the Bull
THE silver collection has rare blockbusters. Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, Sakti Burman, Bhupen Khakhar, Kishen Khanna, J Swaminathan, Manjit Bawa, Ram Kumar, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh and Bendre to name a few of the line-up representative of the modernists in the Indian art world ocean.
The viewing before the April 2 & 3 auction enables sighting of Souza’s large format, Emmanuel, wherein he brings the crowned Jesus in triumphant red, with wounds fresh from crucifixion, breaking bread with doubting Thomas in his signature green against a terracotta red background.
To me, the crowning acquisition has to be Amrita Sher-Gil’s stunning still life. With her artworks being declared a national treasure and 107 of them belonging to NGMA Delhi, this early work is a departure from her portraiture. It was perhaps done during her early art schooling in Paris and is a rare release awaiting the hammer to a fortunate bidder.
Raising warm wishes to the House for a heARTfull March to their golden.
Drawing Near
CHEMOULD’S residency for their 60th yielded two artists. Gallerist Shireen Gandhi and curator Shaleen Wadhwa instantly decided that they would carry both the shortlisted artists’ works that nailed the brief. The ethos of providing a platform to young talent prompted them to instinctively turn down the initial quest for a single proposal.
Mohit Shelare’s solo exhibition at the gallery gives space to young talent. It’s the giveback of an established gallery that walks the talk. I am drawn to the cluster of artists that Chemould Prescott attracts and retains as well as the innovation and discovery hub of Chemould Collab, which will host “The Spaces Between” by Ahalya Rajendran for ANT on March 13.
The gallery is filled with reflective sketches and a thought-provoking palette in blues and greens. The crater surface seems tactile, you peer and move to the installations around the space. There is hope for young talent. This is it.
On till April 12.
Lollapalooza
WHEN the handsome hunk Shawn Mendes waved back as his convoy led to the Mahalaxmi race course, he won a lot of hearts before his performance. Put together with the “Divine” smile it makes for a memorable third edition. There is something special about smiles that light the eyes. Vivian Wilson Fernandes, the pioneer of the Indian hip-hop scene, joined the crowd puller, Jonita, as she celebrated Woman’s Day every day. This lady sure can move.
It’s amazing to witness the adulation of Gen Z to Louis Tomlinson and his band. A young fan flew in for the day from Kochi with her purse, a custom tee, and the lyrics of his first song tattooed on her hand and acquired Merch from the venue. The sight of hero worship from several feet up in the sky is a wow!
Lolling Aaround
THE go-to to get a bird’s eye view of the four sprawling stages and catch the golden hour is the ferris wheel. It’s literally the Lolla high if you discount the drones. Besides the sundowner vibes streaming with so much abandon it’s the live and let live joi de vivre you soak in. I vote Mumbai has the best audience. Free-spirited and out to chill for the weekend. They bowled over Green Day with their show of love as he did them. The trio’s fantastic showmanship and production transmitted electric energy to the ocean of super-enthused people. Full marks for their set list, graphics and colours. The fireworks were a peripheral add-on effect here.
Niladri Kumar’s unique electronic sound of “Zeetar” set the stage on fire with his accompanist Gino Banks on the drums, Satyajit Talwarkar on the fiery tabla, and Agnelo Fernandes keyboard. MIA was Sheldon D’Silva. I’m talking of taking the temperature to well over the 30s here but the experience was totally worth it. Lolla’s thoughtful touches of sprinklers, water stations, and chilling zones to meet the heat spike of March. A cool art fill, from Johnny who Walks, was the immersive art enclosure.
No Lolling Zone
THE logistics are mind-boggling, crunching labour-intensive opportunities under one sky. For those enamoured by “events” this is the test to see if you have it in you.
Tracing Family Matters
“THE Other Mohan in Britain’s Indian Ocean Empire,” authored by Amrita Shah bears testimony to her storytelling expertise based on rigorous research. It is a compelling read that makes history sound like a fable come true.
Amrita takes the reader into an era of unprecedented global mobility. Traders and professionals who followed indentured workers to Mauritius and South Africa were called “passenger” Indians. A celebrated Indian passenger, Mohandas Gandhi, went to Natal in 1893. A decade later, an undistinguished Indian passenger, the author’s great-grandfather Mohanlal Killavala arrived in Natal.
As a child growing up in India, the author was fascinated by the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s journey and her great-grandmother’s origin. She credits her convent education for her ability to make a dent in the literary world, a departure from her immediate community’s choice of education. It was another jigsaw bit that made her embark on her discoveries.