qatar welcomes Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum

 

Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum in Education City, Doha, opens to the public, designed to be the first and largest museum worldwide dedicated to the life and work of one of the most influential modernist artists of the 20th century. Designed by architect Martand Khosla, the museum translates the artist’s symbolic vision into a contemporary structure that mirrors his lifelong experimentation across media, taking shape from a 2008 sketch Husain made of how he imagined the museum.

 

The institution spans over 3,000 square meters, with a collection spanning six decades of practice across painting, film, tapestry, photography, poetry, and installation.

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
all images courtesy of Qatar Foundation

 

 

spanning 60 years of the indian artist’s work

 

The museum brings together a permanent collection and immersive displays featuring more than 150 works and objects that retrace Husain’s career from the 1950s until his death in 2011. Highlights include a cycle of paintings commissioned by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, inspired by Arab civilization and completed in the artist’s final years in Qatar. The galleries will also incorporate Seeroo fi al Ardh (2009), Husain’s last major work, a multimedia installation that depicts humanity’s technological and cultural progress.

 

Born in India in 1913, Husain became a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group in 1947, breaking away from academic traditions and shaping a modern Indian visual language. His work traversed oil painting, serigraphy, sculpture, and cinema, with themes ranging from mythological epics and rural life to postcolonial realities and religious diversity. Celebrated internationally, his career spanned exhibitions from the Venice Biennale (1952) to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2014). Husain described himself as a ‘global nomad,’ forging strong ties with Europe, the United States, and the Arab world, particularly Qatar, where he spent his final years and held citizenship.

 

Within Education City, already home to public art installations, research centers, and universities, the new museum situates Husain’s work in dialogue with broader questions of creativity and cultural exchange. As Kholoud M. Al-Ali, executive director of community engagement and programming at Qatar Foundation, notes, the space is designed for exploration and critical engagement, connecting audiences with Husain’s art as a living legacy.

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
designed by architect Martand Khosla

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
a contemporary structure mirrors the artist’s lifelong experimentation

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum will open on November 28th, 2025, in Education City, Doha

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
taking shape from a 2008 sketch Husain made of how he imagined the museum

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
the institution spans over 3,000 square meter

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
a collection spanning six decades of practice

m. f. husain museum in doha opens its doors, tracing six decades of modernist art
featuring more than 150 works and objects