M.F. Husain has a penchant for controversy. The latest is over a statement that he reportedly made on Kolkata artists.Husain reportedly told a vernacular daily recently that ‘‘90 per cent of the artists in Kolkata are substanceless. Many of them have talent but not the stamina to continue.’’ He was in the city for an exhibition held to celebrate his 88th birth anniversary.The exhibition was to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya yesterday. However, enraged by Husain’s comments, city artists boycotted the inauguration ceremony and the Chief Minister refused to turn up.Officials at Galerie 88, the venue for the exhibition, confirmed that ‘‘though the Chief Minister had consented to inaugurate the exhibition, we received a message from the Chief Minister’ Office yesterday that because of other important engagements, Bhattacharya won’t be able to make it.’’Though Bhattacharya couldn’t be contacted, city artists blamed a section of the media for misinterpretation of facts. ‘‘We never requested the Chief Minister to boycott the inauguration,’’ they said.Artist Poritosh Sen blamed Husain for raking up the issue for publicity. ‘‘Who is he to say that 90 per cent artists in Bengal are inane. He did it for publicity,’’ he said. Sen, however, added that he would visit Husain’s exhibition and so would all others who reacted to his ‘‘uncalled for comments on Bengal artists.’’Talking to The Indian Express, Husain denied the charge. ‘‘It’s a democratic country, and I have every right to speak my mind out. Moreover, I did not speak of artists of any particular region. My comments were meant for artists in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and the world over.’’‘‘You may have talent but that is not enough. You need dedication, stamina and a passion for continuity to carry it through and add experience to your talent,’’ he said.Hitting back at the protests from artists, Husain said: ‘‘I call it a deliberate design to create controversy over my statements.’’Husain, however, was full of praise for three Bengali artists — Bikash Bhattacharya, Ganesh Pyne and Somnath Hore.He described his 88 paintings exhibited as ‘‘propositions to poets, artists, even the scientists’’, and not themes. He also recalled how his first exhibition in the city had been a failure and he wasn’t even left with money to buy a rail ticket. His second exhibition in 1967 was a major success, he said.Husain, who’s leaving the city tomorrow, will meet Buddhadeb Bhattacharya when he returns during the last days of his exhibition this month. ‘‘I know him for the last five years and I will meet him without any prejudice,’’ Husain said.Pyne refused to comment on Husain’s statement, saying: ‘‘I have no comments to make. It’s not for the first time that he said such a thing.’’ Coinciding with the painter’s 88th birth anniversary celebrations, the exhibition has Husain’s 88 works painted in four cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Paris. The exhibition in Kolkata will continue through the month.
