Preeti Garg has been in love with art for as long as she can remember. She shares how she learnt to create artworks using charcoal as a medium at the age of 10. So it came as no surprise when she eventually decided to open one of the most popular art galleries, Gallery Veda in Chennai in 2012.
More than three years since its inception, the space has managed to make art more inclusive, and not intimidating for Chennaiites and she says, the city with its well-known love for the arts, provides the perfect setting for such a concept. “A culturally-aware city where art in any form is accepted, analysed and commented upon, Chennai is leaving its stamp as a one-stop destination for art shows and galleries,” she adds.
She says, “After years of being a homemaker, I wanted to start something on my own. At that point in time, Sanjay Tulsyan was conceiving the Art Chennai Festival and advised me to join the board of organisers, which would also give me an opportunity to have close connections with various artists and art forms. That made me realise that I want to become a gallerist.” She adds that when it comes to her favourite form of art, she likes any form, which has a creative element — whether it is in the medium, theme or shape. “Many young artists are doing some amazing work on mixed media. I really find the medium very interesting,” she adds.
The art connoisseur was thrilled to be a part of the Venice Biennale earlier this year. She shares, “It was a splendid experience. It is organised on such a large scale with full support from the government. The different forms of art displayed and the infrastructure created was something that amazed me. Some very interesting creations gave an insight into the thought process of different countries and cultures. I was lucky to experience it.”
Preeti is not just a keen art enthusiast but also loves travelling. “I love travelling and also read up a lot on fictional travel. I have a long bucket list of places that I really want to go. Most definitely I want to go to Maldives, Greece and Ibiza,” she says. In fact, taking holidays together as a family along with hubby and her son is a great way to bond as a family. She also loves to try out cuisine from across the globe. But then the gallerist is also a hardcore fitness enthusiast. “I do try out new forms of workout that are in vogue and like to keep in shape,” she adds.
