In Conversation with Husain Paintings (Hardcover)

On paintings of Maqbul Fida Husain, eminent Indian painter; a study; includes reproduction of his paintings and brief biographical sketch.

Spanning most of Husain’s life. right from the formative childhood years to hisfilm, Gaja Gamini, which saw Husain at pinnacle of his creativity, this volume gives an insight into the personal life of one of the most celebrated figures of our time. Peppered with interviews, conversations, amusing anecdotes which bring out thewarm, mischievious aspect of Husain that very few know about, this book is a sheer delight from start to finish, being as it were almost a visual experience through its intensity and vivid narratives.

‘In Conversation with Husain Paintings’ also brings forward an entire range of sketches, paintings, photographs, poems written both by the author and Husain – none of which have ever made public, and all of which enlivens the book to a great extent. We also get to learn about the influencesthat shaped Husain – those of his grandfather and friends, his simple growing up years in his hometown Indore, and hardships faced as a struggling painter in Bombay.

The writer also allows us to peep into the making of Husain’s best-known series of paintings – the Mother Teresa series, the Satyajit Ray series and the Umbrella series. You also get to know what went into his obsession with Horses and Umbrellas – both of which have now become almost symbolic of Husain himself. ‘In Conversation…’ could also double as a travelogue, detailing as it does, accounts of Husain various sojourns abroad. Be it China, Montreal, Japan or London, among other places.