An immersive exhibition – titled: The Rooted Nomad: MF Husain – featuring the works of Maqbool Fida Husain (1913–2011), one of India’s iconic artists, has been opened by Qatar Museums (QM).
The exhibition, held at QM Gallery Katara, in partnership with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi, and running till February 7, 2026, highlights more than 80 of Husain’s seminal works, complemented by a rich selection of textual and archival materials that offer deeper insight into the artist’s creative journey.
The opening on Monday night was attended by Chairperson of Qatar Museums Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani; Her Excellency Lolwah Al Khater, the Minister of Education and Higher Education and Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums; CEO of Qatar Museums Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi and other distinguished guests, including Kiran Nadar, the founder of the KNMA, and Owais Husain, a multimedia artist and son of MF Husain.
MF Husain at Nizamuddin, New Delhi, 1995. Photo: Parthiv Shah. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Collection.
MF Husain at Nizamuddin, New Delhi, 1995. Photo: Parthiv Shah. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Collection.
MF Husain at Nizamuddin, New Delhi, 1995. Photo: Parthiv Shah. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Collection.
Guests enjoyed a captivating performance by The Manganiyar Selection, an acclaimed Indian ensemble, at the Katara Amphitheatre, also presented in collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Directed by Roysten Abel, the performance offered a spellbinding fusion of music, theatre and visual artistry.
Conceived and curated by KNMA, and designed by Visioni Srl, Rome, the immersive experience was originally shown at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2024. It has been reimagined for Doha, introducing new spatial and sensory experiences that trace Husain’s artistic journey, shaped by memory, mythology and a nomadic spirit.
The immersive experience delves into the expanded meanings of yatra, or journey — as an enduring symbol of civilisation, a guiding force in artistic expression and a metaphor for inner and collective transformation.
Through a remarkable body of work that intertwines myth, memory and modernity, The Rooted Nomad: M.F. Husain reflects the artist’s vision of India as both an ancient civilisation and a modern nation.
The Rooted Nomad: MF Husain is presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar, and builds on the legacy of the Qatar–India 2019 Year of Culture.