Collecting Guide to Contemporary Art

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the space of contemporary art in the Indian subcontinent has been teeming with the richness of creativity displayed by the artists of the present. Therefore, the road to building an interesting contemporary art collection goes through retracing the evolving journey of contemporary artists that led them to create their unique idiom.

Having matured through several phases of artistic experimentation and inspiration, they have left an indelible mark in the global art world with signature style works synonymous with their art practice.

With 115 unique works from several senior contemporary artists as well as works from the younger artists, AstaGuru's upcoming second edition of the 'Present Future' Contemporary Art Auction is an ideal opportunity to start building your contemporary art collection. To view the auction catalogue click here (link to catalogue page).

One of India’s top contemporary artists, Bharti Kher art practise spans over three decades where she has employed a myriad of mediums and materials that are truly unique. However, it is her signature style with the use of ‘Bindi’ for which she is widely renowned. It first started appearing in her work in 1995 and since then, has become a leitmotif, through which she speaks to the world. Traditionally a symbol of femininity, strength and spirituality, the bindi has undergone a subliminal transformation through her art. The grand canvases that she creates in her signature style result from a meticulous and layered placing of the bindis on the surface to articulate her thoughts and narratives. Two of such signature style works, lot no. 23 and lot no. 103 will be showcased.

Another leading woman artist of India whose inquiry into the aspects of femininity has been widely applauded is Anju Dodiya. Starting from early abstract works, artist Anju Dodiya consistently pushed her artistic boundaries to experiment with various mediums and unique textures. Among her different styles of work, her creations on mattresses have come to be highly recognised. When asked about the difference between working with paper and the mattress she said: “I realised that with the mattress there are textures that I have to interact with. My painting process became more carefree. And there was a novel pleasure in working with textures and playing with its bulges.’’ Two of her acrylic on mattress works will be presented in the upcoming auction. Lot no. 14, titled ‘Cloud Hunter, was executed in the year 2005 and has been showcased in several exhibitions.

Artist Subodh Gupta is an iconic contemporary artist whose works grace the collections of several prestigious private and institutional collections. Trained as a painter, he went on to experiment with a variety of mediums including cow dung to reach his muse of kitchen utensils commonly seen in Indian households. Presented in the auction are two works by the artist which ironically sums up this progress. Lot no 52, is a large-scale painting of the kitchen utensils executed with oil on canvas in the year 2006. On the other hand, lot no 95, is a 2014 creation formed with a congregation of stainless-steel utensils.

The idea of history and time–both past and the present–has also been a crucial influence in setting the course of practices by several artists. While some of these play with the reinterpretation or recollection of history, others create works that are a visual commentary on the contemporary world.

One of the most distinguished contemporary artists of India, Atul Dodiya perfectly blends these two sensibilities with his works that are at once a take on India’s history and socio-political climate but also draws inspiration from the elements of contemporary pop culture. The artist witnessed a turning point in his career after his trip to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. It marked a departure in an earlier photo-realistic approach and led him to severely experiment with a multiplicity of styles. Consequently, his artistic repertoire expanded exponentially to include poems, comic strips, advertising billboards, movie posters, cinema stills, popular religious oleographs, as well streetside graffiti done on shop shutters.

One of the most important works that brought the artist great recognition is his works featuring Mahatma Gandhi. Lot no. 72, is also a creation by the artist featuring the father of the nation. Titled ‘Fallen Leaves- A Stroll # 5,’ the work is a portrait of Gandhi alongside other prominent political figures like Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. A part of a series with 8 similar creations by the artist, the work was executed in the year 2006 with oil on dried leaf, powder-coated mild steel, auto body solder & red oxide.

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most inspirational figures in history and has greatly influenced all forms of arts in the Indian subcontinent. A painting by Bangladeshi artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, lot no. 101, features Gandhi in a peaceful demeanour. The artist has executed this work in a departure from his usual technique of rendering his subjects in motion.

Another work, lot no 36 representing Gandhi is a piece titled ‘Gandhipin’ by artist Debraj Goswami. Executed with acrylic on canvas, the presented lot has the Mahatma standing inside a loose safety pin.

Gandhi is not just limited to a painted surface but has also inspired sculptors alike. One of India’s leading sculptors, Debanjan Roy, famously known for his Gandhi sculptures, has featured Bapu in his works throughout his career. One of such works executed with acrylic on fibreglass, lot no 10, is also a part of the upcoming auction.

Bringing insight into western history is a work, lot no 115, by artist Raqib Shaw. Titled ‘Henry VIII,’ the extremely eye-catching work is the artist’s reinterpretation of work by Hans Holbein the Younger, considered to be one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. While Shaw has retained the late medieval costumes, he has rendered the body of the figure as a monster.

Inspired by contemporary times and pop culture are the creations of artist Suryakant Lokhande who is acclaimed for his striking experimental work created with a play of different media. He renders his vision of this rural and urban hybrid culture with high-gloss oil on canvas. His subjects, adopted from the real world, are liberated on the vibrant canvas with a voice of their own. Three works by the artist will be showcased in the auction.

The theme of migration along with contemporary globalization of consumer culture comprises the vocabulary of works created by artist duo Thukral & Tagra. They playfully combine fantasy and reality, achieving a powerful dialogue between the high-culture tropes of society and often pose questions about the perceived identity of India on a global scale.

Combining the elements of mythological iconography, science fiction, comics, surrealism, video games and a host of other contemporary imagery, artist Chitra Ganesh’s multidisciplinary art practice not deals with the past and the present but also gives a peek into her interpretation of the future.

Works of contemporary art created with a kaleidoscopic of colours by artists such as Saju Kunhan, George Martin P J, Rekha Rodwittiya, T V Santhosh, Nikhil Chaganlal, Bose Krishnamachari, are also some of the most desired by the collectors.

Nature has also been a perennial theme in visual art. However, in contemporary times, artists are not just merely depicting nature in its pure simplicity but are also using their art practices to comment and critique the relationship between man and nature in a highly modernised world. While some of the artists depict elements of nature drawn from the memories of their childhood, others are portraying the effect of rapid urbanisation marked by environmental degradation.

One of the most sought-after Asian contemporary artists hailing from Sri Lanka, Senaka’s art has been primarily anchored celebrating the majesty of Sri Lanka’s abundant nature with his vibrant and colourful canvases portraying the scenes of lush rainforests, overlapping jungle fauna as well as birds, animals, and butterflies that inhabit it.

The proximity to nature also deeply inspired the work of artist Lakshman Rao Kotturu. He spent his childhood amidst the lush beautiful rivers, beaches and forests. He helms his thoughts to convey the beauty of nature by a brilliant use of unconventional material. Titled ‘Limited Branches,’ is one of his creations included in the auction catalogue. Executed with GI fencing wire, steel & black mesh, the sculpture is a creation of the year 2019.

Standing on the crossroads of forms of man and nature, works by artist Dhananjay Singh endorses the inseparability of the two. Through his creations resulting from an intricate entwining of bronze and stainless-steel wires, to form an amalgamation of faces, tree trunks and branches, the artist emphasises the need for man to reconcile with nature in the face of ever-growing environmental crisis.

India also boasts of several artists who have aced the practice of mixed media art. Artists such as Reena Saini Kallat, Anu Agarwal, A. Balasubramaniam, Aditya Pande, Suhasini Kejriwal among others are some of the leading Indian contemporary artists who have consistently experimented with mixed media art.

The upcoming auction is scheduled on February 10-11, 2022.