Anju Dodiya

Minor staining lower right apparent in catalogue illustration. Otherwise in good overall condition. Color washes slightly paler than catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Anju Dodiya appears frequently in her own works either surrounded by her paints, brushes and easels, the tools of her trade or as the heroine of some autobiographical fairytale. The question of what to paint and how to present her ideas to her audience remains a central theme in many of her works. She is frequently seen battling with her muse or alter ego whilst suffering from artistic block.  In a famous work Studio Guests she has replicated herself into three performing artists or magicians who entertain her patrons seen sitting in European costumes, 'these magicians sit like tired convicts imprisoned in the colonial gaze.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, Indian Artists - A Global Home) The final magician raises a blank painting to her audience, a symbol of the fear of what to paint in an increasingly global market.  In the current work another self image stares blankly from her painting dressed in the garb of a gypsy, which thus continues her own fairytale where she plays the central role.  It appears that in the current work she is like a mystic or seer preparing to stare into her crystal ball for inspiration as to the route her artistic journey should take.