A new museum dedicated to M. F. Husain, one of India's most important modernist artists, will open in Doha, Qatar, on November 28, 2025. Officially named Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum, it is operated under the Qatar Foundation and will be the first museum devoted solely to Husain. The 32,300-square-foot institution, located in Doha's Education City, draws from a newly formed permanent collection spanning paintings, tapestries, photographs, films, installations, and poetry. Highlights include a series on Arab civilization commissioned by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Husain's final work, Seeroo fi al ardh (2009), housed in its own gallery. The building's design is based on a 2008 sketch by the artist.
The opening matters because it establishes a major institutional legacy for Husain, who held Qatari citizenship and spent his final years in the country. The museum underscores Qatar's growing role as a hub for modern and contemporary art, complementing existing institutions like Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the upcoming Art Basel Qatar. It also arrives amid surging market interest in Indian modernism: in March 2025, Husain's Untitled (Gram Yatra) sold for $13.8 million at Christie's New York, a record for both the artist and Indian modern art. The museum positions Husain's work within a global narrative, bridging Indian modernism and Arab cultural heritage.