Explore an intriguing collection of Indian contemporary art, from the personal collection of the late entrepreneur Pradipto Mohapatra, including rare early works by stalwarts of the Madras Art Movement and Bengal School.
Explore an intriguing collection of Indian contemporary art, from the personal collection of the late entrepreneur Pradipto Mohapatra, including rare early works by stalwarts of the Madras Art Movement and Bengal School.
The earliest memories of Sanghamitra Mohapatra with art are kept in the village of the Vishal Cholamandal artist: every Sunday, as a little girl, she was left to play with other children, as her father, entrepreneur Pradipto Mohapatra. , caught up with his artist friends and perhaps even selected. Up a canvas or two along the way. Most of these artists later became the heroes of the Madras art movement.
She admits she had no clue of who they were or what they did until much later. Today, she wraps up a very challenging five-year project: painstakingly curating her late father’s vast collection of artworks, with a sensitively curated show at the Focus Art Gallery to honor her passion for art. to list.
The collection, lovingly built over decades, features several notable pieces: rare paper sketches by KCS Panicker, cats by RB Bhaskaran, KH Ara’s breathtaking large-format masterpiece ‘Nude’ and Laxmi Gaur’s carvings on metal plates: The crme de la crme of Indian contemporary art.
Ajay Dey coalesces on paperwork | photo credit: special arrangement
Almost hidden on one of the crowded walls of an MF Husain Focus Art Gallery. Nevertheless, this is unacceptable. A simple watercolor on paper, featuring the artist’s early brushstrokes, the work shows two women, probably dancers, accompanied by a meditation saint in whites. Inside, an entire wall features the Bengal school as Ajay Dey’s birds are captured in arresting shadows, and Suhas Roy’s beautiful pastel works of the female form sit next to Christ’s motifs, which represent different cultures and cultures. Artists are personal in their own respect. Some sculptures, mostly in stone and metal, also appear.
Collectively, they make up about 275 works that make up the seasoned artists, different schools of thought and changing genres that Pradipto Mohapatra, the man behind retail chains such as Foodworld, Musicworld, Health & Glow and HMV India, created more than 40 collected over the years.
An artwork by Avi Elango | photo credit: special arrangement
Sanghamitra remembers him as the “picture of health”, having a keen interest in horoscopes and historical artefacts. Mohapatra loved his art and watches. “As for the arts, he was a big fan of the Bengal School of Art and the Madras art movement. He had a deep understanding of the Bengal school and its history,” says Sanghamitra. His father-in-law was also an avid collector. “Between father-in-law and son-in-law, a lot of notes were exchanged,” she recalls. Similarly many works featuring the Bombay School such as KH Ara made it to the collection. The exhibit is a fascinating walk through emerging ideas, thoughts and sensations.
In such a vast collection, dating and research face inevitable challenges. To understand the collection and create a loose narrative, Sanghamitra did her research into the lives of each of these artists. “Then there are proofs for each artwork: papers of authenticity and invoices that give us an idea of the means and prices. Some of them were bought before the 1990s, and they didn’t have papers of authenticity. Those For people, I had to dive into each piece, family or an expert in the field to put together the certification,” she says.
A lot of the pieces from the Madras Art Movement are the early works of artists, bought around the 1980s, before they were even shot to fame. Pointing to RB Bhaskaran’s oils and acrylics on the canvas, Sanghamitra recalls, “He had no love for cats. But that bought a lot of work with cats for us. My mother’s side in the family was cat-loving.”
The work of S. Nandagopal | photo credit: special arrangement
Although there is no set narrative for display, visitors are welcomed by the Madras art movement, and the paintings are encouraged to visit the Bombay and Bengal schools, passing some abstract works along the way. Did Mohapatra have a favorite artist? “he loved [C] Douglas. At the Bengal School, he had a special love for the Tagores: of course, we have some excerpts from Rabindranath Tagore. However, they are not part of the display.
Why does she want to part with such a wide collection? A lot of it boils down to the dangers of conservation. Mohapatra had an affinity for paper-forms: ink and watercolours on paper. “But they need to be on a wall and broadcast,” says Sanghamitra, “what’s more, they need to be appreciated and seen.” There is no point in having them in our storage. ,
The collection is on display at Focus Art Gallery, Alwarpet from 22 to 24 July. It is open to all.