The museum will be the first and largest institution dedicated to the life and work of Maqbool Fida Husain, one of the world’s most celebrated modernist artists.
Aerial shot of Lawh Wa Qalam M.F. Husain Museum, 2025. Courtesy of Qatar Foundation.
Qatar Foundation will open Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum on 28 November 2025 in Education City, Doha. The museum will be dedicated to the life and work of Maqbool Fida Husain, marking the world’s first and largest institution focused on the artist’s career and legacy.
The museum will cover over 3,000 square metres and feature a permanent collection that spans paintings, films, tapestries, photography, poetry, and installations. Presented through multimedia storytelling, it aims to provide an immersive experience that connects visitors with Husain’s multidisciplinary practice and artistic vision.
A Dedicated Space for Art and Learning
Lawh Wa Qalam will join Qatar Foundation’s network of cultural and educational institutions that promote creativity, learning, and dialogue. Designed as a space for exploration and discovery, the museum will encourage critical thinking and engagement across generations and backgrounds.
According to Kholoud M. Al-Ali, Executive Director of Community Engagement and Programming at Qatar Foundation, “Maqbool Fida Husain was one of the world’s most legendary modernists, an artist whose vision emerged from and resonated across different cultures, including here in Qatar, where he lived and practised during his life. It is an honour to present his work within a dedicated museum of this scale – a space where audiences can engage deeply with his life, his art, and his enduring global legacy.”
The museum will complement Qatar Foundation’s existing public art programme, which includes more than 100 works displayed across Education City. It reflects the Foundation’s commitment to fostering creativity, accessibility, and cross-cultural understanding through the arts.
Collection Highlights
Among the key works to be displayed are a series of paintings commissioned by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. These works, inspired by Arab civilisation, were part of a larger series of more than 35 paintings Husain completed in Qatar before his passing in 2011. Selected pieces from this series will form part of the museum’s permanent exhibition.
The museum will also include a dedicated gallery for Seeroo fi al ardh, Husain’s final installation and one of his most ambitious projects. Conceived in 2009, the work explores humanity’s journey and progress through art, innovation, and spirituality. It will be presented through a curated display designed to bring Husain’s multidisciplinary approach to life.
Architectural Design
The design of Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum is based on a sketch by the artist himself, which outlined his vision for a building that would function as both an exhibition space and an artwork. The architectural concept reflects Husain’s lifelong pursuit of experimentation and his interest in merging different disciplines, including painting, sculpture, poetry, and architecture.
The building will serve as a visual and conceptual extension of Husain’s artistic philosophy, embodying the integration of creativity and structure that defined much of his career.
Maqbool Fida Husain: A Modernist Legacy
Maqbool Fida Husain (1913–2011) was one of the most significant modernist artists of the twentieth century. Born in India, Husain was a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group, formed in Bombay in 1947. The group sought to establish a modern Indian visual language that broke away from academic and colonial traditions.
Husain’s work reflected his engagement with religion, mythology, history, and social realities, often expressed through bold forms and colours. His visual language drew from Indian and global traditions, and his career spanned a range of media, including painting, film, writing, and architecture.
Throughout his life, Husain lived and worked across multiple countries, including India, the UK, the USA, Czechoslovakia, and Qatar, which became his final home. In 2010, he was granted Qatari citizenship. His artistic output during this period included several large-scale projects inspired by Arab civilisation and modern progress.
Husain’s work has been exhibited at major international venues, including:
- Venice Biennale, Italy (1952)
- Tokyo Biennial, Japan (1960)
- São Paulo Biennial, Brazil (1971)
- National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, India (1991)
- Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar (2008)
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK (2014)
- Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar (2019)
He was also an award-winning filmmaker and poet. In 1967, his short film Through the Eyes of a Painter received the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Qatar Foundation: A Platform for Cultural Exchange
The establishment of Lawh Wa Qalam reinforces Qatar Foundation’s broader mission to support cultural dialogue and education. Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir of Qatar, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the Foundation has developed a multidisciplinary ecosystem focused on education, research, and community development.
Over the past 30 years, Qatar Foundation has created spaces for learning and creativity, fostering innovation and supporting cultural initiatives that promote social progress. The M. F. Husain Museum forms part of this ongoing effort to make art accessible to the public and to advance Qatar’s role as a centre for cultural exchange and education.
Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum will open to the public on 28 November 2025 within Qatar Foundation’s Education City in Doha, Qatar. Further details regarding opening hours, exhibitions, and visitor information will be available closer to the launch date. For updates, visit www.qf.org.qa.
