Husain Par Fida, artist Ravi Gossain presents a brand new series of life-size canvases to fill the void of Husain’s absence during India Art Summit August 19, 2009

While the entire art fraternity has reacted to M. F Husain’s exclusion from the India Art Summit second year in the running, some cautiously and some sharply, there are others who have taken a completely different route to keep the Husain legend alive during this time. Self-confessed Husain admirer and artist Ravi Gossain has created a brand new series of life-size canvases portraying various nuances of Husain’s persona, but especially his loneliness in exile.

Titled Husain Par Fida, the exhibition is an artistic tribute to the master through life-size canvasses with some being as large as 7ft x 16 ft. Showing Husain in various moods, ranging from the playful as in Husain & Henry Moore to the morose as in Husain in ICU, the entire show is both serious and comical at the same time.

Says Nidhi Jain, Director, Gallery Ragini: “As the Art Summit comes close and the entire city prepares itself for a spurt of fresh creativity, is it really fine for us to forget one of the pioneers in Indian contemporary art? I hope the show by Gossain will be a humble attempt to fill the void created by Husain’s absence.”

Though Husain has been Gossain’s inspiration for decades, a photograph of Husain with a red Ferrari triggered him to create a full series on him. “And what time was more apt to show these than now?” asks the artist, adding, “I have always admired him from a distance and watched him intently on stage, at airports and at hotel lobbies. Though I have always felt shy to approach him, I now wish he could see these paintings. The artist in him resonates even at the age of 93. His spirit is commendable.”

Born in 1950, Gossain took to painting as a profession a little more than a decade ago and has had several art shows since 2006. An Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur alumnus, Gossain’s first encounter with his muse took place in 1971 during a live demonstration by Husain at IIT Kanpur.

Gossain further adds: “This series on Husain are based on a deep-rooted connection with the artist and his conflicts with the social system. However, I do not tend to ignite controversies and nor do I wish to form opinions on any issue related to him.”

For this exhibition in particular, Gossain puts Husain next to a Ferrari, with Henry Moore, Husain under the doctor’s scanner and in the I.C.U, and Husain on a balcony to invoke intriguing responses. For example, the Husain in ICU series shows Husain being operated by a team of surgeons in an ICU. While an ordinary patient would lie helplessly at the disposal of specialists, Husain on the other hand appears to belong to a different world and seems to be firm and unaffected by trauma. In a similar vein of thought is the work titled Husain under Scanner that captures a moment before Husain is put under MRI scan. Here again, Husain’s charisma remains unmatched and miraculous as he holds the balloons of aspirations despite personal sufferings. Yet another work titled Husain on the Balcony depicts a large colourful rooftop area with a small figure of Husain standing in a pensive mood. The presence of balloons in almost all of Gossain’s work is a noteworthy trademark that brings out an optimistic side to otherwise traumatic situations.

Executed in blazing shades of red, yellow, blue and green is the work titled Husain & Henry Moore that shows a trendy Husain sporting sunglasses and stepping off a red Ferrari. Adds Gossain: “Husain has all the latest models of Ferrari, Cadillac & Maserati which he feels are his muse. He calls them art installations as he bought them because as he could not afford a Henry Moore.”

Explaining about Gossain’s works says Nidhi Jain: “I get inspired by Gossain’s large canvases and his ability to create a balance between form and colour. His vivid colour sense is an extension of his spirited persona. His adulation for Husain is apparent in this show. He considers Husain to be his art guru and this is his way to pay back his gurudakshina, his ode to the master”.

Thus by choosing to paint on the most controversial artist of the country, Gossain’s sets up a stimulus through his works and leaves the rest for the viewers to decide.