Kerala II by MF Husain

The scene strikes like a burst of drums and colour. A woman with a green painted face lunges forward, a male figure swings a sickle and steadies a vessel, and a tiger dancer bursts through the centre. Cloth flares, bodies cross, and the ground glows like an Onam arena of performance.

What unfolds is celebration in motion, where theatre, dance, and ritual flow together in a single breath.

The work is shaped with strong black lines that secure each form. Crossing diagonals from arms, sickle, and stride create a whirl of action. The curved spine of the tiger adds rhythm, while swift calligraphic marks around wrists and headgear keep the eye moving across the picture.

Colour sets the mood. A field of red beats like a festival drum. Orange carries the tiger’s charge and the rising Sun, both signs of energy and renewal. Yellow enriches the scene with warmth. Deep blues and greys cool the garments and recall sea and sky. Green marks the painted face and bangles, tying performance to land. White accents lift cloth and teeth, giving clarity.

This is Husain’s Kerala as living practice. Onam, Pulikali, Kathakali, agrarian labour, and the mundu merge into a vision of joy, rhythm, and shared culture.