Kerala I Literacy by MF Husain

In this serigraph, Husain transforms the simple act of reading into a collective ritual of empowerment. Figures bend over newspapers, their bodies welded by bold lines into a chorus of curiosity. Kerala is known for its high literacy, and Husain honours it as both local truth and universal image. The work becomes a lamp of knowledge, carried not by one but by many.

The composition is charged by repetition. Heads tilt together, lines flow in rhythm, and the spread of papers feels like waves across the sheet. Earthen browns and grounded greys steady the forms, while sudden whites of the newspapers glow against darker ground. The surface vibrates like a living classroom.

This work introduces Indian culture to the world through a lens beyond ritual or exoticism. Here, Husain says Kerala’s strength lies in its democracy of learning, a vision as modern as any Western symbol of progress. The painting is a salute to education as the true revolution.