M. F. Husain inaugurated Lakeeren Galleryin 1995 in Vile Parle, Mumbai as one the first galleries to exist outside
the South Mumbai, Kala Ghoda art circuit. The gallery’s uniqueness stemmed from the fact that it challenged itself to present the avant-garde art practices that emerged at that moment to
a new audience outside the usual South Mumbai collector’s circle. This moment of pre-global Indian art was a time when therewas an explosion
of new material and new media visible in the works of younger artists, in which significant experimentation in photography, video, web based and installation art came to be viewed. The artists sought to employ unorthodox mediums such as rice paper, egg cartons, found objects, making Lakeeren one of the first galleries to exhibit this new genre of art, kitsch ephemeral sculptural, performance art practices that were in the process of being defined. This newfound materiality also needed a new understanding towards art and art object itself, leading the gallery to adopt a mission statement to create a “social forum for the appreciation of art and art forms through knowledge based interaction by not only exhibiting art, but also providing a much needed intellectual platform.” Thereby Lakeeren could be viewed not only as a gallery, but a much needed discussion platform that debated and articulated these new avant-garde practices in an Indian context.