India Art Fair 2025: A Brooding Ground for Nude Art and Society
Art in the wake of censorship with certain right-wingers still finding artwork offensive
The biggest exhibition of contemporary art in India, the India Art Fair 2025, recently wrapped up with over 120 exhibitors present across art and design, and reportedly the 2025 fair saw robust sales to established and new collectors from across South Asia and the world, and strong international institutional attendance.
The Case of MF Husain and His Famous Nude Paintings
However, the invisible Damocles sword hanging over the art world that many would rather not discuss or even acknowledge is the fear of censorship of certain artwork that may be found offensive by Right Wing forces. The recent incident where a Delhi court on Monday (January 20, 2025) ordered the seizure of famous nude paintings of Hindu deities made by Padma awardee M.F. Husain, displayed in the Delhi Art Gallery.
The action was deemed necessary after a complaint was filed by Delhi High Court advocate Amita Sachdeva, who demanded the removal of the ‘offensive’ paintings. However, the Delhi court on Thursday (January 23 2025) refused to order the police to file an FIR against the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) for displaying ‘objectionable’ paintings made by M.F Husain. It said the complainant, Delhi-based advocate Amita Sachdeva, already had in her possession all the evidence required to prove her allegations against the erotic art movements.
Judicial Magistrate (JM-I class) Sahil Monga of Patiala House Court, however, directed the petitioner to proceed in the matter as a complaint case. A complaint case is a formal complaint filed before the court, which can pertain to any offence, triggering judicial scrutiny and potential inquiry.
India Art Fair’s Role in Supporting Established and Contemporary Nude Artists
One noticed that the fair predominantly gave a very good display space to abstract artwork, the contemporary art in India, and with a few exceptions, the overall air was one of careful curation not to include artwork that could easily attract the tag of offensive.
One saw that while galleries like Dhoomimal had works of FN Souza and even MF Husain on display, the Souza was an uncontroversial head and the Husain was certainly not of any goddesses.
Notably, Gallery Maskara did not pull its punches, displaying the famous nude paintings of T Venkanna, one featuring two female nudes, being dragged along with a male figure.
The works were not only nude, they even quoted an x-ray vision with bones and organs visible. “One never knows what people find offensive, it’s highly subjective and art cannot be made keeping in mind what people may or may not find offensive,” says gallerist Abhay Maskara. The Hyderabad-based artist Venkanna is known for paintings and prints that depict sexuality and erotic art movements, some that are violent.
“People say my work is about sex, of course it is about sex…but we cannot stop there. Sex is only the starting point for my work; it is a means of expressing pure feeling, at its limit, when it might become almost ‘unbearable’,” says the artist whose dark figures and lush forests depict a variety of gender and sexuality that is purely fantastical and not in the realm of realism.
Gallerist Mortimer Chatterjee of Chatterjee and Lal, opined, “I believe that in the face of censorship, artists will figure out different ways of presenting subversive material, and frankly as a gallerist and art collector I prefer artworks that are subtly making a point rather ones that are in the face or direct.”
India’s Nude Art and Society
This being as it is, a complaint, like the one recently lodged by Sachdeva, could lead to legal action against an art gallery which indicates a precarious situation. Art institutions, collectors, and museum curators may now think twice before acquiring or exhibiting works that might be deemed “offensive,” regardless of their artistic or historical significance.
India’s art market is growing, yet incidents like these tarnish its reputation on the global stage. While the West celebrates its modernist provocateurs, India’s reluctance to embrace dissenting artistic voices showcases a deep-seated paradox. Are we a society that encourages intellectual debate, or are we regressing into cultural conservatism masked as nationalism?
MF Husain’s paintings with the grand depiction of Hindu deities in nude or semi-nude forms were not intended to offend but rather to engage with India’s rich artistic traditions, mythology, and spirituality. His approach mirrored the history of nude art with the depictions found in ancient temple sculptures and classical Indian art, where nudity was a representation of divine energy and liberation rather than vulgarity.
Importantly, if artistic nudity is the issue, why do we not see similar protests against fashion models, films, or advertisements that objectify the human body? Would the reaction have been as severe had Husain belonged to the Hindu community, or does his identity complicate his acceptance within Indian cultural discourse? These are questions that need to be posed and taken into consideration when addressing this issue.
A gallery that rather not be named was about to display a provocative F N Souza during the festival time but decided not to ‘take any changes’ given the current scenario and feelings of dread and censorship are quite prevalent.
The Husain controversy is not just about one artist; it is a litmus test for India’s commitment to artistic freedom, nude art and society. As the country positions itself as a global cultural powerhouse, it must decide whether it embraces diverse artistic interpretations or succumbs to ideological gatekeeping.
If art is meant to challenge, inspire, and provoke thought, then the art world must resist the pressures of cultural policing. The rekindling of the Husain debate should serve as an opportunity to engage in critical discourse rather than retreat into fear-driven censorship. After all, if a nation cannot tolerate the creative liberties of its most celebrated artists, what does that say about its cultural maturity?
[The article was written with inputs from Researcher Navyaa Maheshwari.]
Image Courtesy – Georgina Maddox
Georgina is an independent critic-curator with 18 years of experience in the field of Indian art and culture. She blurs the lines of documentation, theory and praxis by involving herself in visual art projects. Besides writing on immersive art for STIRworld, she is a regular contributor for The Hindu, MASH Mag and Architectural Digest.
