Art lovers in the city are in for a treat. Nearly a decade after the closure of Husain Sankalana — the late M.F. Husain’s house and gallery in Koramangala that was converted into a restaurant, an exhibition of a limited edition of his serigraphs, or silkscreen prints, is on at Cinnamon on Gangadhar Chetty Road.
“Serigraphs as a unique medium of graphic prints on the finest silk fascinated Husain and he worked on them nearly four decades ago. The idea that such prints made their way into many homes and were displayed around the world made him a happier man,” said artist Gurudas Shenoy, the curator of the graphics division of Husain Sankalana before it was shut down. Nearly six years after his death, M.F. Husain remains the “highest earning” Indian artist, with a global auction turnover of ₹6,741 crore since 1965, according to a Cinnamon representative.
“We got 15 rare serigraphs of M.F. Husain from the graphic studio, Archer, in Ahmedabad. They were produced in conversation with Husain and signed and numbered by the artist. Citizens of Bengaluru will have a chance to see them after nearly three decades,” the representative said.
Mr. Husain was known for his exemplary eye for serigraphs as they gave artists more freedom of expression and reached people easily, said K.H. Kulkarni, an art historian at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat.
“Husain had once made a print portfolio of his art works with the help of printmaker-artist Devraj Dakoji,” said Mr. Kulkarni, adding that the main reason for artists taking to serigraphs was to make their work visible and sustainable.
Some of the best of serigraphs on display include ‘Horses’, the 20th in the series of 140. It is a 5x4 ft work showing majestic horses in red and white, with brown strokes in the background. The exhibition will be on till August 20.
‘Loved the city’
“Husain loved the weather and food here, and was in awe of the number of artists. He also took part in the prominent art fair, Karnataka Kala Mela, in the 1970s — popular at a time when galleries were very few in number,” he said.
Serigraphs have a long and fascinating history as a printing art more versatile than any traditional printing technique. The use of silkscreen as a modern artist medium began in 1938 when a group of artists in New York experimented with the process and coined the term ‘serigraphy’, which went on to gain acceptance from both collectors and galleries in the 1960s.
Recalling one of his many conversations with Husain, Mr. Shenoy said: “He often said, ‘Over the years, the price of original paintings has gone beyond reach. I have to think twice to own my paintings. A print is for people with taste rather than money’.”
