Ashiesh Shah's Top Ten Picks from Boundless: India

Ashiesh Shah's Top Ten Picks from Boundless: India

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  Balkrishna V. Doshi, Tower of Babylon, 2015.
  Estimate INR 2,00,000-4,00,000.

  Balkrishna V. Doshi, a practitioner of modern Indian architecture and an inspiration, continues to be one of the most celebrated urban planners of all times. Doshi instituted a shift in the way architecture remains to be perceived through impeccable foresight and forethought. Tower of Babylon, a conceptual sketch, a representation of transformation through timelessness, was Doshi's interpretation of change. With an evolution of time, there is an evolution of space, inspired by the legendary Tower Of Babylon. Doshi's structure accounted for adaptation, flexibility and transitional thresholds, all within an idea on paper. The work itself resonates with elements in architecture that I gravitate towards: staircases and arches. These intermediate spaces hold incomparable value in design; their effectiveness however has no measure. Tower of Babylon for me, triggers an understanding of where I am in the current world through the parallels it draws with my own practice, a multistory-ed structure, journeying through revolution.

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  Louis Isidore Kahn, Untitled (Two Drawings of the buildings of the IIM, Ahmedabad), 1969.
  Estimate INR 2,00,000-3,00,000

  Louis Kahn continues to be one of my most beloved inspirations of all time and IIM Ahmedabad is his most iconic work. I distinctly remember visiting the university as a student and walking through the corridors, overwhelmed with how beautifully the light filters through the calculated openings. The amalgamation of material, light and shadow, translates into this unparalleled structure, an image of form, space and structure, and these pencil sketches show the thought and calculation behind it. Definitely something I would love to make part of my own collection.

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  Amrita Sher-Gil, The Little Girl in Blue, 1934.
  Estimate INR 10,00,00,000-15,00,00,00.

  A pioneer In modern Indian art, Amrita Sher-Gil was one of the most notable avant-garde female artists of the early 20th century. Marking a cusp of change in her way of expression and technique, The Little Girl in Blue was one of Sher-Gil's first few works done in Amritsar, once she moved to India from Paris in search for inspiration. The girl, who happens to be her cousin, has features, distinct and highlighted, yet soft and subtle. This work has such a story, a large provenance and stands as a cataloged piece by Sher-Gil, whose works I aspire to collect.

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  Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Untitled, 1962.
  Estimate INR 1,30,00,000-1,80,00,000.

  Gaitonde remains my favorite Indian artist of all time - his work is the epitome of magnificence. Gaitonde's 'non-objective' works, stood true to his identity as a painter who strives to achieve the purest form of expression through light color and texture. The movement in the work, translated through a monochromatic canvas is exemplary. This particular painting draws parallels with my gravitation towards monochrome color stories and fluidity of form with an exploration of depths in a mere two dimensional surface, and that's the beauty of it.

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  Tyeb Mehta, Durga Mahisasura Mardini, 1993.
  Estimate INR 20,00,00,000-30,00,00,000.

  Mahisasura remains one of the more expensive of Tyeb's works to date. A sculptor, painter and film editor, Tyeb belonged to the post-colonial artist sect, well traveled and learned. Inspired by ancient Hindu mythology, Tyeb's depictions of Goddess Durga were unmistakable yet definite. Honoring Tyeb's portrayal of the colonial tension in his works, Durga Mahisasura Mardini emanates hope with a periodic palette and relatable imagery. The portrayal of power,coupled with the championed Goddess Durga, moulded in a form to radiate success holds so definite today, in the wake of feminism.

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  Mrinalini Mukherjee, Untitled, circa 1990s.
  Estimate INR 12,00,000-18,00,000.

  I distinctly recall the first time I was going for the Kochi Biennale and happened to be seated alongside a woman who I went on to have the most intriguing conversation for the entirety of the flight duration. I knew of Mrinalini Mukherjee, but never knew I was seated right beside her till the last leg of our journey, the most exciting conversation I ever had with an artist. I eventually went on to buy a work similar in language, in bronze and find that it reminds me very clearly of her practice, our conversation and a journey, an overwhelming, memorable couple of hours.

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  Arpita Singh, Men Sitting, Men Standing, 2004.
  Estimate INR 1,20,00,000-1,80,00,000.

  One of my favourite female artists, Arpita Singh, a figurative modern Indian artist, alludes a journey, a story focused primarily on her societal surroundings. Men Sitting, Men Standing has a strong color story, diverse yet controlled. What is exceptional is the use of red, black and white through depths of intricacy, making the entire work visually striking. The chair, however, features as the most important element and holds a good amount of interest. As the name of the painting suggests, men sitting, men standing, the chair is a vital physical character to the painting, tying the loose ends together.

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  Maqbool Fida Husain, Untitled (Farmer and Bullock), circa 1940s.
  Estimate INR 12,00,000-15,00,000.

  In a league of his own, Husain's toys were the precursors, the building blocks to his paintings. Created in the 1940's, these toys represent the starting point of his career, where he drew inspiration from localized India and its population. His paintings today remain distinct and developed from the language of these toys, which hold a fair degree of similarities that underwent pure refining over the years. Color, corners and community, Husain's toys continue to be my favorites.

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  Balkrishna V. Doshi, Two Sangath Studio Stools, 1975.
  Estimate INR 90,000-1,50,000.

  Born out of the need for chairs and stools at his office, Doshi's Sangath Studio Stools radiate sustainability. The transformation of scrap materials to everyday chairs went on to say so much about BV Doshi as an architect. These chairs stand to be such eminent pieces in architecture, where numerous architects have created shifts in the perception of built forms just by pondering over these stools. They have a history, stand for a story and are from the studio of a renown architect.

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  Pierre Jeanneret, Two PJ-SI-59-B chairs (Kangaroo chairs), circa 1950s.
  Estimate INR 8,00,000-10,00,000.

  Pierre Jeanneret was a swiss architect who designed minimal furniture pieces, often constructed without the use of fasteners. The kangaroo chairs are my favorite and I happen to own two of them that hold a very important place in my bedroom. The character they add to the space within my home is unparalleled and their statement within the room tends to be unmatched. I think of the chair, with its form, build and versatility as the most important feature within my personal space.

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• • 

    Type: auction

    Category: Past Auction

    Boundless: India

    29 November 2018 | 7:00 PM IST | Mumbai

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    Type: story

    Category: Indian & South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art

    Amrita Sher-Gil Portrait Comes to Market After 80 Years
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    Type: slideshow

    Category: Indian & South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art

    Boundless: India Highlights
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    Type: auction

    Category: Past Auction

    Ancient Sculpture & Works of Art

    4 December 2018 | 3:30 PM GMT | London

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    Type: auction

    Category: Past Auction

    Arts d'Asie

    11 December 2018 | 10:30 AM CET | Paris

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    Type: auction

    Category: Past Auction

    Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie

    12 December 2018 | 3:00 PM CET | Paris

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