A Husain Ganpati is axed from show

MUMBAI: In the past, right-wing Hindutva organizations have taken issue with artist M F Husain's depictions of Indian deities, but recently, a guest of a swish five-star in Mumbai raised similar objections about a painting of Lord Ganesha in the form of an irate letter. The untitled Husain, which depicts a child Ganesha resting on his mother's lap, was displayed in the lobby of Juhu's JW Marriott Hotel as part of an ongoing exhibition of 75 artists' works, Manifestations XI.It was immediately removed by the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), which has organized the show in collaboration with the Marriott.
In his letter, the protester asked why Lord Ganesha had been portrayed with a "nude woman", said Kishore Singh, head of exhibitions and publications at DAG. "There was a form of a woman, his mother," explained Singh. "It's a pity that someone chooses to see it like this. But when you want to see something in a particular manner you will," he added.
The objection was raised on August 24, two days after the opening of the exhibition, and the painting was removed the same day. DAG officials said they chose to respond with such alacrity because the painting was in a public place and-despite adequate security-they feared it might be damaged by protesters. "Had it been our own gallery, we would have resisted," said Singh, adding that DAG was the only gallery to show Husain "during his period of purgatory". Husain spent the last years of his life in exile from India because of a litany of cases against him in connection with his allegedly obscene art.
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Another factor which influenced DAG's decision was the Ganpati festival and the desire to shield their partner from unnecessary controversy. "However, there was no pressure on us from the hotel. It was completely our decision," claimed Singh. A spokesperson for JW Marriott chose not to comment on the issue.
"Paradoxically, the many paintings of Lord Ganesha by Husain are considered lucky and auspicious by its collectors," wrote film critic Khalid Mohamed in a blogpost about the incident where he said the controversial work was considered the "piece de resistance" by art critics.
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The exhibition, which will continue till September 30, showcases the work of artists such as S H Raza, Jamini Roy, Raja Ravi Varma and Ganesh Pyne. The controversial painting was replaced with another work by Husain titled 'Tribal Women'. As for the original work, "you will see it in our forthcoming exhibitions in Delhi and Mumbai," promised Singh.