Understanding the Art market

Hyderabad: Understanding the art market is perhaps trickier than trading on the stock market. But just acquiring the knack of getting it right can turn it into a lottery ticket. If you are someone who has been considering investing in art, then walk into the Tamkanat Art Gallery, where the group art show, fittingly titled Collector’s Choice, simplifies the contemporary market for art.

The art show includes legends like Vaikuntam, Kavita Deuskar, Sachin Jaltare and Laxman Aelay, and also has a good mix of upcoming artists from across the country, including Akbar Mohammad, Saraswati, Bharat Yadav and Srinivas Mouli.

Among the artists who are in demand for their works on mythology is artist Saraswati, who has exhibited a 2x5 feet work of Krishna at the gallery. While it is no surprise that she finds a lot of demand for her work in the city among collectors like Anju Poddar and Parvathi Reddy, Saraswati says, “I also cater to a lot of clients in Kolkata and Mumbai. There is a large market for art on mythology. But obviously, you need to bring something new to the table, like how Ramesh Gorgala uses the traditional technique of Kalamkari in his mythological works.”

Srinivas Mouli, a West Godavari artist, has however made a conscious departure from the “decorative art for the walls”. Srinivas survives due to a “few loyal collectors” from the state for his art, which is largely conceptual.

While  art from Hyderabad and the state finds a lot of collectors, including high profile architects to art enthusiasts from across the state, one collector from the city who particularly picks young artists’ works, is Javeed Hussain.

He points out the criteria for how to ideally collect art, “I don’t buy art that is traditional or too regional in any sense. It’s illogical, especially since I have my collection for the past 20 years and buying a new artist who takes to the stylisation of Vaikuntam or Goud, just doesn’t make sense. So what’s worth spending my time and money on is art that has a larger global sensibility, while keeping the Indian expression intact. That is why artists like Subodh Gupta are lapped up.”