In India, art collection has seen a steady rise in recent times. With the advent of social media and other forms, young collectors now who otherwise used to prioritise other investments over art are slowly being drawn back to collecting art by masters and young. The years post pandemic have seen a steady rise in not just auction sales but individual sales by collectors which has given the much needed impetus to art in our country. Now it’s interesting to note that exquisite art is a mainstay in décor of luxury homes or offices. Many celebrities and well to do folk of the society constantly indulge in collecting art to showcase it in their residential or commercial establishments.

Now choosing the right art is no less a feat, as it involves a steady study of which artist or art would suit the periphery of one’s abode. If choosing art was one step the next step is to collect art from the right sources and then how to negotiate and get a good deal on these artworks. Gone are the days where one could only wait for an auction to buy art. Today we have several sources, NFTs where one can acquire real good authentic art. Some of the prominent names today in Indian art which adorn the walls of the who’s who are names like MF Husain, VS Gaitonde, Syed Haider Raza, Manjit Bawa, F.N Souza to name some. While the most commonly spotted and the artist who is a marquee is none other than MF Husain.

The reason many go for a Husain is for three reasons, A- He is undeniably the most noted and popular Indian master, B- His oeuvres spanned several thousands of works and C- He painted several series which gives a wider choice for the collector compared to say a Raza which is adorned primarily by Geometric shapes and Bindus and a Manjit Bawa which is primarily figurative. What one selects is directly proportional to what their tastes are.

My personal opinion is any artwork can fit into a décor or surroundings of any interior. One should create the ambiance and décor to match the artwork to make it stand tall and not the other way around. The common mistakes many of them do are that they choose the artwork to fit their décor. This should be avoided and one should create a surrounding based on the artwork. Choice of artworks is entirely personal as some collectors stay away from dark works or nudes, which is a common trait with artists like FN Souza. These days there is a steady interest in minimalistic works like that of Raza’s and Abstracts of Gaitonde.
It should be noted that when collecting art the collector should always go through the documents and provenance of the work to avoid bumping in to fakes. It is advisable that they should collaborate with a curator or gallerist of repute and get them connected to the architect or interior designer as it will help them to be at sync with each other. Framing the work is also an important aspect which many miss. Which frame will or will not suit an artwork should be discussed upon. Some paintings don’t need framing and is best left bespoke.

Also notable a lot of young artists are there to invest and collectors should consider them. But having a masters work in one’s residential setup will never get old and not only does it add significant value to the image of the person owning it but it also sends out a message that the person owning it has a certain taste associated with the classy. Art collecting is entirely personal but having even a small work of a master in the interior will only enhance the environment in more ways than one.

• By Harish Kumar U Sejekan, an art curator and entrepreneur.