The first time I met Husain was in the early 90s and I continued to see him quite regularly until the beginning of this decade.
Mallika Sagar Advani, independent art consultant
He could bring together poetry, u00a0u00a0literature and art in every conversation
The first time I met Husain was in the early 90s and I continued to see him quite regularly until the beginning of this decade.
After every meeting with him you came away realising what a keen mind and tremendous sense of u00a0humour he had. He had an ability to bring together poetry, literature and art in every conversation. Husain's painting process was unique.
He was able to produce complex compositions literally out of thin air in a very short span of time, and still manage to make it all look incredibly easy.
Meeting him at any time left you inspired because he was so full of life and had insightful observations on everything.
He was extremely large-hearted and was always happy to donate his works for charity auctions, be it to raise money for earthquake victims or for those suffering from AIDS.
Vivan Sundaram, Delhi-based artist
He had a generosity of spirit that allowed him to never be bitter
I have known MF Husain for around three decades and I feel his demise has left a great vacuum in the art fraternity. He was charming, accessible and his heartwarming nature made him greatly loved by people. He was a pillar of the modern Indian art post-Independence and he will be sorely missed.
Even though his vision may not be fashionable today, his views had an important role to play in creating the modern secular vision. His views were twisted by the right wing parties and he was termed as the enemy of the nation, which was immensely sad as he was passionate about the country, its diverse religions and cultures.
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However, he also had a generosity of spirit and mental strength that allowed him to never be bitter. He was a staunch Nehruvian and had supported Indira Gandhi and the Congress during the worst of times and later on he felt let down by them when he was put in a corner. Though friendly, he had very few close friends and was like a gypsy, moving from city to city.
Papri Bose, Mumbai-based artist
He was in his 80s then but leaped from the chair like a young boy
MF Husain opened up the minds of artists. He altered the consciousness of artists to make them realise that for art, sky is the limit. He changed their perception. Most people earlier thought of artists as a poor jhola-carrying lot. He made it a free kind of movement.
So many people were fascinated by him and he had so much energy. I remember once we were sitting at Jehangir and he was waiting to meet someone. He was in his 80s then. When he was told that the person had arrived, he leaped from his chair like a young boy and was out of sight in no time. I was amazed at his energy.
Arun Vadhera, owner of the Vadhera Art Gallery in New Delhi
He looked fine u00a0when I met him u00a0on Wednesday
I have known Husain for more than 20 years and he was a great friend. The first time we met was when a colleague bought a painting of his, and he had come to visit us. He kept us entertained with his small anecdotes on Indian art, and we became friends very soon.
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I met him at his hospital on Wednesday and we spoke about everything from work to life. He was looking forward to my London visit since we were planning another exhibition with him after he gets out of the hospital. He looked so fine that we never expected this to happen.
Shobhaa De, author and columnist
He died of a broken heart
For me, this is a culmination of a 40-year-old friendship with a man I admired and loved very much. He was a confidante and we shared a wonderful time together. When we met two days ago, we joked and laughed and talked about so many things including his desire to have a falooda from Badshah. He died of a broken heart.
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He was longing to come back to India, the country he loved, and would've loved to breathe his last in our country. It is so disappointing that we couldn't assure our greatest painter that his life would be safe out here. After he left India, he was reaching out to all his old friends here because his heart truly belonged here.
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And what's very disappointing is the way the politicians are now jumping in and saying that funeral should take place in India. It is shameful and I know that this is the kind of politics Husain would abhor. When I met him, we both intuitively knew that this was our last meeting.
Even though he was physically weak, his astonishing zest for life and never-say-die spirit shone through. On a previous occasion, we had the most amazing time when he came home after making the film with Madhuri and showed it to us on his laptop.
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It was the ultimate tribute to not just a woman, but to beauty. He did a portrait of mine 20 years ago for my birthday, and he sent me a painting this year on my birthday as well. We had a fabulous last two hours, full of laughter and fun, and that is how I will always remember him.
Ranbir Kaleka,
New Delhi-based artist
He would have lived longer if he hadn't suffered from this persecution. I know that MF Husain wanted so very much to spend his last days back home, to return to the country and culture that was the inspiration for his art. Any artist would feel like that - I would too.
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In fact, many of us feel that Husain would have lived longer if he hadn't suffered from this persecution (of exile). As an artist, his contribution lay in making art accessible to the layman, ascribing a value and meaning to it in a way, no other artist has done. It's a tremendous loss.
Jitish Kallat, Mumbai-based artist
He had learned how to fully seize the moment
Two years ago, my wife Reena and I were checking out of a London hotel when we met Husain who had converted his second floor suite into a studio for the entire summer.
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He did not appear like a person in exile; here was a man who had taken full ownership of the place and time that he inhabited, a man who had learned how to fully seize the moment.
As an artist, I feel that with Husain's passing away a portion of the art historical canopy has blown away; as if a portion of the roof has fallen off.
Husain's position is that of a legendary cultural figure, who transformed the way the public perceived art, especially in the decades immediately after independence. He almost uploaded the figure of the artist on the public consciousness.
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