‘Between 2 Lines’ turns out to be a historic event and a unique experience for artists as well as art lovers, writes, David Solomon

Maqbool Fida Husain is more than a living legend at 100 – Well almost. (Actually, in most of his bio-sketches, his birth date is given as September 17, 1915) In fact, MF Hussain is more of a brand name, whose paintings command prices in millions. And since many years now, he’s the face of Indian contemporary art the world has come to know, respect and admire. So when you come face to face with someone like that, emotions can range from awesome and exciting to enriching and unforgettable.  

The slight, lanky barefooted artist with his tousled mop of snow-white hair and beard and tinted spectacles, was on a two-day visit to Muscat for the inauguration of an exhibition “Between 2 Lines’, the first-ever exhibition of his paintings together with those of his youngest son, Owais Husain. 

Apart from this beautiful confluence of different times and eras, this event also generated a lot of synergy the following day due to the interaction, exchange and sharing of ideas with prominent artists and art students of Muscat to deliberate and ponder over the significance of calligraphy as an art form in the region, across the Middle East and beyond.

Welcoming MF Husain Anil Wadhwa said: “We are privileged tonight (Friday) to witness works of MF Husain, who has become   synonymous with contemporary Indian art. No other single artist has popularized Indian art within the country or internationally as he has done. 

Speaking about his son Owais Husain, the Ambassador said: “He is a multimedia artist with a growing repute of his own. Owais did his very first oil on canvas at the age of three. By the age of nine, he was part of a theatre group in school. Since then he has explored his creativity through painting, sculpture, photography, films, music and poetry.

At the Friday opening, Owais Husain expressing his sentiments said: “This is a great honour for me since this is the first time ever that I share the same platform with my father as a painter. We have never worked together except on a film and in that sense this is indeed an historic event. It has been a challenging experience working in close proximity with my father”. 

On Saturday, MF Hussain led a workshop and forum discussion “On Calligraphy And More: The line written, once drawn”. Eminent artists of the Omani Society for Fine Arts, including its director Mariam Zadjali, and art students from various institutions participated in workshop. The workshop and discussion proved to be a lively forum for exchange, debate and learning.

On the sidelines of the workshop and discussion, the artist graciously shared his sage wisdom with journalists, fielding questions in his forthright manner, his disarming simplicity and his endearing charm. You can’t help marvel at his feisty, youthful spirit, his vitality and zest for life and his warm and large-hearted disposition.