On January 20, a New Delhi court ordered the seizure of two paintings by the late Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain, following allegations of blasphemy. The complaint was filed by Delhi High Court lawyer Amita Sachdeva after she attended the exhibition “Husain: The Timeless Modernist” at the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) in December 2023. Sachdeva claimed the paintings, depicting Hindu deities Hanuman and Ganesha alongside nude female figures, hurt religious sentiments. Although the gallery stated the artworks were not on display and later removed them, Sachdeva urged the court to review CCTV footage, leading to police confiscation of the paintings. While DAG denied any wrongdoing and noted the exhibition’s positive reception, Husain, widely celebrated as the “Picasso of India,” was no stranger to controversy for his modernist portrayals of Hindu deities, which often drew backlash, including one incident in 2006 that prompted his self-imposed exile until his death in 2011.
Exhibitions
 Celebrating 50 years of the Jakarta Biennale, featuring international visual arts, with an opening on October 1 - November 15, 2024, at Selasar Galeri Emiria Soenassa, Taman Ismail Marzuki, showcasing performances and music by various artists and communities, and free for the public. |  "PANORAMA: Radetyo Itok," a solo exhibition by Radetyo Itok, curated by Rizki A. Zaelani and officiated by Yudi Wanandi, explores imaginative expressions of daily life experiences through a series of artworks, running from October 2 to November 2, 2024, at Galeri ZEN1 in Jakarta. |  "THE QUEST," a solo exhibition by Samsul Arifin, showcases his journey through paintings and installations featuring fabric dolls and pencils, exploring the unpredictability of life and the importance of roots and spiritual guidance, from October 1 to October 31, 2024, at Nadi Gallery in Jakarta. |
