Investing in artworks can make for a great portfolio diversification option. Aptly titled ‘Art as Investment’, the group art exhibition of 78 artworks done by 52 professional artists from all over India is ongoing at the State Gallery of Art till 31st March.
Curated by the senior artist Fawad Tamkanat, the show is an initiative to raise funds for the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack. “Following the success of my previous art fundraiser ‘Tigers’, the State Gallery of Art happened to approach me to curate this show. And although I am traveling at the moment, I have brought together some of the best artists from all over the country to display their artworks at the exhibition,” said Fawad.
A sculpture by Sumanto Chowdhury.
Fawad also mentioned that it was a conscious decision to not include veteran artists in the exhibition. “It’s quite obvious that veteran artists’ artworks would sell at exorbitant prices, and they will indeed have keen buyers for their art. However, that is not my sole concern. My intent is to promote young contemporary artists and to give them a platform to showcase their work,” he shared.
An artwork by Nagesh Goud.
Elaborating on his concept of art as an investment, Fawad said, “Hyderabad has many art enthusiasts who do invest in art. Except, they prefer to buy from cities like Mumbai or Delhi, and seldom ever buy from Hyderabad. By organizing such exhibitions at regular intervals, we can encourage our art fraternity to buy more artworks locally.” Among the 78 artworks on display, Sumanto Chowdhury’s sculptures draw quite attention. Even artist Nagesh Goud’s works, which tells the story of Bhibhishan in bold golden and black, has received a fair amount of praise. “The artwork on display is one of my older works, from 2010. It’s very interesting In it, I can see my own journey as an artist,” he said.
An artwork by Sweta Chandra.
Another thought-provoking piece which is on display at the exhibition is the artist Shweta Chandra’s subtle play with colours, which throws light upon the issue of industrialization by superimposing building blocks with birds flying around flowers.
With artworks ranging from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 3,00,000, the organizers are hoping to raise enough money to support the cause.
