At the edge of Doha, a new grey-blue building rises like a drawing on its skyline, its shimmering tiles shifting with the sun and casting geometric shadows.
The building seems to be leaning forward, as if eager to tell a story.
In a video clip of Lawh Wa Qalam, the world’s first museum dedicated to MF Husain, we see glimpses of the extraordinary work of the late legendary Indian artist, whose prolific paintings and turbulent personal history have fascinated the world.
The museum honours the legacy of the artist who spent his last years in Qatar and was granted citizenship in 2010.
Spanning over some 3,000 sq m, it opened to visitors last week and is part of the expansive campus of Qatar Foundation’s Education City, an educational and research hub.
Inside, more than 150 works and objects – including paintings, sculptures, films, tapestries and photos – map the astonishing breadth of Husain’s career, offering visitors a rare window into the artist’s late-life reflections and inspirations.
Husain always wanted his museum to feel like home, says Noof Mohammed, the curator. “We want visitors to experience the world as he did, in an intimate, playful and reflective manner.”
Few artists have travelled as widely, or imaginatively, as Husain. His horses – muscular and dynamic – remain some of the most prized and instantly recognisable paintings in contemporary art, sold for millions of dollars.
An artist who was often described to have a nomadic and bohemian disposition, he dabbled seamlessly with Cubist-inspired modernism and traditional Indian themes, creating bold and vibrant canvases with scenes from history and mythology.
His signature style earned him the moniker of “the Picasso of India”. He also made two Bollywood films, which failed at the box office.
Husain was also never without controversy. His paintings of nude Hindu goddesses angered hardline Hindus who accused him of obscenity, forcing him into a self-imposed exile.
Indian architect Martand Khosla, who designed the structure with the Qatar Foundation, recalls the challenge of working from a single drawing, imagining countless conversations with the artist.
“A sketch does not have scale. It is an intent. And converting that intent into an actual functional museum was a different ballgame,” he tells the BBC.
Rather than treating Husain’s sketch as a blueprint, Mr Khosla used it as a philosophical starting point: “What should remain literal and what is metaphorical?”
“It was like developing a new architectural language,” he says.
The result is a labyrinthine layout that invites visitors to wander, exploring every line, shade, and shadow as if following Husain’s own brushstrokes.
“We hope the museum sparks discovery the same way Husain’s murals do – each visit can reveal a completely different experience or discovery ” Mr Khosla says.
Each gallery opens with a Husain quote, inviting visitors into his thoughts. Long corridors lead to immersive displays of paintings, sculptures, and everyday objects – including his old Indian passport – tell the story of an artist, filmmaker, and philosopher who traveled the world yet never stopped yearning for India.
Not surprisingly, Husain’s beloved horses take centre stage in the museum.
“We have tried to gather oral histories by talking to people who knew Husain, such as his driver, collaborators and friends, to give a personal sense of who he was,” Ms Mohammed explains.
Mr Ahmad, the artist, says the museum’s interactive format offers a chance to understand the artist beyond the public controversies and lore that defined his life.
Many recall Husain as the barefoot, eccentric artist with flowing white hair and a penchant for controversies.
“But at his core, he was a genius who was endlessly fascinated by storytelling, whether it was through mythology, modernity or memory,” Mr Ahmad adds.
