Artistic merit for Indian painters

Nov 12 2010 By Lorne Jackson

Lorne Jackson speaks to a patron of the arts who is trying to raise the international profile of Indian painters.

Beauty queens the world over are famous for exhibiting their many precious gifts and talents.

They can smile at the drop of a hat, for instance.

Even when a hat hasn’t been dropped – and stays firmly on the head – those glam gals keep on grinning.

Beauty queens have numerous notable attributes, though few are famous for exhibiting a creative streak. Which is why Anjana Kuthiala stands out as a very rare talent indeed.

Kuthiala graced the catwalk in 1975, when she was a striking Miss India. In her more mature years, she has garnered a reputation for gracing canvases, with her equally striking paintings.

Now several of these paintings are to go on sale in Birmingham, as part of a thrilling and highly unusual auction of Asian art.

The extensive collection of contemporary Indian works will be sold by Birmingham-based auction house Biddle & Webb on November 19.

There are 30 pieces of art in a variety of mediums, including charcoal, acrylics, oil on canvas and chromatic prints.

The exhibition also encompasses a spectrum of artistic styles, such as abstract, impressionism, expressionism and figurative work.

The paintings were created by some of the most eminent and distinguished Asian artists.

Many of them have a following in both the private and corporate sector.

There are the paintings by Kuthiala, of course. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she is best known for her depictions of beautiful women, though she has also received acclaim for exhibiting a series of 18 paintings of the actor and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, entitled A Poem of Art in Cinema.

Another major artist whose work will be going under the hammer is Sunil Das, who has been hailed as one of India’s most important post-modern expressionist artists, and won a prestigious Scholarship to attend Ecole National des Beaux Arts, awarded by the French government.

Also included in the collection are paintings by Arpana Caur, whose work examines the plight of women in a growing climate of violence in India. Her works are exhibited in the V&A in London and the Singapore Museum of Modern Art.

The collection going under the hammer belongs to Anjli Paul and her friend and business partner, Blory Chana. Both are great supporters and patrons of Asian arts and culture.

“The collection presents a unique opportunity for individual collectors to acquire something of rare beauty whilst also representing a good investment,” says Anjli Paul, who is the daughter of the Labour peer and chairman of Caparo steel, Lord Swraj Paul.

Anjli was born in India, in 1968, though she moved to Birmingham with her family at the age of eight. Her home is still in the city.

Over the years she has raised a family, worked for her father and set up several businesses of her own.