'WELL I NEVER'

.....In my mind Bhopal, a large city in Madhya Pradesh, was associated with the world's worst chemical industrial disaster, in 1984, when a gas leak from a factory in the city,  caused the immediate death of 3000 people and many more deaths followed.   So, on the list of 'things to do in India', a visit to Bhopal was not one of them.

The invitation to an art exhibition to commemorate the 96th Birthday of India's most famous artist, M.F. Hussein, who died in London, earlier this year,  caught my attention.   I wondered what the connection was between the artist, whose screen prints, were on show and M.F. Hussein, a very controversial figure in the art world, because of his seemingly irreverent depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.  India had a love/hate relationship with Hussein, who lived in exile in Dubai and had earned the title of India's 'Picasso'.

The present exhibition, had nothing to do with the art of Hussein - the colourful screen prints were filled with light and harmonious abstraction.   The artist had started his life as a textile designer and had a great affection for the calm, simple art of the tribal people - so what was the link with Hussein ?  "We both come from Bhopal" he said simply.  In a stroke, Bhopal took on a completely different significance - a centre for Contemporary Art ? !