Getting creative against COVID 19

Blurb: Collectors, galleries and auction houses help raise coronavirus relief funds through affordable art sales

The month of April addressed the ongoing coronavirus crisis by putting its money where its mouth is. Artists, connoisseurs, galleries and auction houses are rolling up their sleeves to help raise coronavirus relief funds by pitching affordable art sales where they are offering accessible prints, drawings, limited edition sculptures, photographic prints works on canvas, paper, board, in oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite and indigenous art-works that are aimed to be at pocket-friendly prices. What is more, they promise that 100% of the proceeds from the sales will go towards relief funds which will be given to charities that they have aligned with.

“We at DAG (Delhi Art Gallery) have always believed in the healing power of art and even more in the power of giving. We have seen a great tide of appreciation for the nation’s warriors leading the fight and we are hopeful that this fundraiser will aid them in this critical hour of need,” said Ashish Anand, CEO & MD, DAG said. To help make this fundraiser a success, DAG has decided to significantly reduce the prices of some of their really stunning artworks, making them additionally viable for buyers who will have the satisfaction of seeing the proceeds from their purchase being diverted to help the poor and support the health sector during these trying times.

A.A. Raiba, Old Church, Oil on Jute, 2005

P.T. Reddy, Women Sitting, Oil on Canvas, 1959

The DAG fundraiser will run for 10-days fundraising and the sales include 51 Masterpieces from its collection which will ultimately go to two allotted charities: PM CARES, and Lt. Governor/Chief Minister Relief Fund, Delhi.

Gogi Saroj Pal, Kinnari, Gouache on Handmade paper, 2008

F.N. Souza, Untitled, Ink on paper, 1962

Anupam Sud, Between Vows and Words, Etching on paper, 1995

Jogen Chowdhary, Flower Vase, pastel and marker on paper, 2004

The artworks represent the gamut of modern and contemporary Indian art, selected and handpicked for its quality. For a better understanding, an e-catalog has been created that has accompanying notes of each artwork and artist. The collection includes artwork from artists such as M.F. Hussain, Madhavi Parekh, Jamini Roy, F.N. Souza, Nemai Ghosh, Gogi Saroj Pal, Anupam Sud, Jogen Chowdhury, and P T Reddy to name a few. The prices of the artworks range from INR 50,000 to INR 5 lakh.

M. F. Husain, Untitled, Serigraph on paper, c. 1950s

Haren Das, Woman at the Well, Woodcut on paper, 1958

(The fundraising sale will be live till April 30, 2020. Email at DAGCares@dagworld.com for further information and details.)

In Mumbai, Saffronart will host its online fundraiser auction for COVID-19 Relief kicking off this April 2020. Since they rightly believe that auctions are all about putting the pressure in the right places. Saffronart will conduct a 24-hour online No Reserve art auction on its platform on 29 – 30 to raise funds to contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts. The 52 works of modern and contemporary South Asian art included in the auction have been generously donated by collectors, gallerists, and artists to support the cause.

Tayeba Begum Lipi, A Swim Suit for You 1,2018

Ram kumar, Untitled, 1991

“This 24-hour, no-reserve online fundraiser auction has come together because of the generous donations and contributions of several artists, gallerists, collectors, and connoisseurs in the industry, proving that art has the power to drive positive change,” said Saffronart Co-founders Minal and Dinesh Vazirani. “As we do our bit to support organizations we hope to see the community rally for the cause and help those most affected by the crisis to rebuild their lives.”

Shilpa Gupta, There is No Explosive in This , C print on archival paper, 2007

There will be no Buyer’s Premium, and proceeds from the sale will be donated to three non-profit grassroots organizations – Goonj, Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) and Stree Mukti Sanghatana (SMS) – that have set up initiatives to support and rehabilitate the most vulnerable communities affected by the health crisis.

Krishen Khanna, Who Has Touched Me, charcoal work

Arpita Singh, Untitled, Ink on paper, 1985

The Vaziranis picked out the top works that they think should lead the sales— a 2018 installation titled A Swim Suit for You by leading Bangladeshi contemporary artist Tayeba Begum Lipi, estimated at INR 7 – 9 lakhs (USD 9,460 – 12,165) and Krishen Khanna’s charcoal work Who Has Touched Me. Other top artists featured in the auction include modern masters such as Ram Kumar, F N Souza, and M F Husain, and leading contemporary artists Arpita Singh and Shilpa Gupta.

Bringing up the indigenous artist perspective the Craft Community Development Foundation is organizing their fundraiser featuring the works of artisans like Gond artist Suresh Kumar whose flying elephant captures beauty and intricacy in his work. Yashpal Baranda brings out the complexity of the Bhils in his series of three portraits titled Characters of Gauri while Rajesh Mor captures the intricacy of the traditional Tarpa Dance of the Warli Community in the acrylic on canvas with concentric interwoven circles that evoke movement and rhythm. (You can make the donations to ccdfinida@gail.com ).

Text By Georgina Maddox
Image Courtesy: Saffron Art and DAG and Craft Community Development Foundation

Find out more about the Artists and Gallery:

http://dagworld.com/

https://myartguides.com/artspaces/galleries/new-delhi/dag-modern/

https://www.saffronart.com/artists/m-f-husain

http://www.artnet.com/artists/maqbool-fida-husain/

https://www.artsy.net/artist/m-f-husain

http://dagworld.com/artists/madhvi-parekh/

https://www.saffronart.com/artists/jamini-roy

https://jnaf.org/artist/jamini-roy/

https://www.saffronart.com/artists/f-n-souza

http://dagworld.com/artists/nemai-ghosh/