A Tale to Tell by Farhad Hussain

A Tale to Tell is a solo exhibition by Farhad Hussain, a master of visual storytelling whose art reveals the unspoken tensions and subtle ironies buried beneath the surface of everyday life. With a signature use of vivid, saturated colors and densely populated compositions, Farhad draws the viewer into scenes that, at first glance, exude joy, festivity, and warmth — only to unravel into complex commentaries on human behavior, social masks, and the performative nature of modern relationships.

Farhad Hussain’s work is rooted in the human figure, and every figure he paints is integral to a larger story — a tableau of interconnected lives, frozen mid-gesture, yet echoing with emotion and implication.

In A Tale to Tell, the viewer is invited to look beyond the facade — to question the smiles that seem too wide, the colors too cheerful, the harmony too staged. Farhad’s canvases are deceptively exuberant, bursting with dot-by-dot applied color and theatrical composition. But embedded in this visual spectacle is a darker narrative: one of emotional isolation, social pressure, and the contradictions of communal life.

Each painting presents a social scene — a living room gathering, a musical performance, a family portrait — that mimics the idea of unity and happiness, but upon deeper inspection, becomes a parody of connection, revealing cracks in the façade and characters who seem to perform their roles more than live them.

Farhad’s artistic language is unmistakable. His works are richly detailed, rendered in a labor-intensive pointillist technique, where color is meticulously built dot by dot. This gives the surface a texture that almost hums with energy. Yet, the meticulousness of the process stands in contrast to the artificial brightness of the scenes — as though the act of covering the canvas in dots mirrors the emotional labor of keeping up appearances in a fractured society.

The compositions are often sardonic, theatrical, and ironic, drawing inspiration from traditional Indian domesticity and popular culture, while also subtly critiquing the veneers of modern-day civility. The influence of graphic design, folk theatre, and Bollywood tableau can be felt, but always refracted through Farhad’s sharp, self-aware lens.

At the core of A Tale to Tell is a meditation on human relationships — their delicate balance, performative aspects, and unspoken tensions. Farhad constructs visual environments where every character is essential, not as an isolated entity but as part of a wider, sometimes dysfunctional ecosystem. There is no true protagonist — just a chorus of personalities, each offering a glimpse into the spectacle and strain of social life.

The works speak of a show always in progress, perhaps a metaphor for societal expectations or the ongoing performance of identity. It’s no coincidence that many of Farhad’s figures seem to pose — as if in a photoshoot or an ad campaign for harmony, masking a quiet discord underneath.

Farhad Hussain’s A Tale to Tell is not simply a display of color and form — it’s an invitation to decode. The viewer is asked to suspend belief in surface appearances and delve into the undertones of satire and social commentary. It’s a layered experience: amusement gives way to suspicion, and brightness slowly yields to a lingering unease.

The exhibition offers a rare space for reflection — on the roles we play, the facades we maintain, and the subtle but powerful drama of being human.

Farhad Hussain has long realized his dream of developing a distinctive artistic voice — one that blends humor with critique, vibrancy with subtlety, and form with meaning. A Tale to Tell is a testament to that journey — a collection of works that both charm and confront, entertain and provoke. These are tales not just to be seen, but to be read between the lines — stories about us, about the roles we play, and the truths we bury beneath performance.