ARTISTS TO WATCH OUT FOR AT CHRISTIE’S ‘SOUTH ASIAN MODERN + CONTEMPORARY ART’ ONLINE AUCTION

The pioneer auction house, Christie’s highly anticipated ‘South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Online Auction’ returns this year from March 12 to 25, offering an enthralling counterpart to their live auction in New York on March 19. This edition showcases a complex mix of artistic expression from the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting the creativity and global impact of South Asian artists and their diaspora.

The sale presents a diverse array of genres and mediums, with estimates designed to appeal to both newbie and seasoned collectors. A major attraction this year is an exceptional selection of works by Maqbool Fida Husain and Francis Newton Souza, pioneering members of the renowned Progressive Artists’ Group. Alongside these masters, the auction features charismatic pieces by Eric Bowen, Mohan Samant, Achuthan Kudallur, Sadequain, Zubeida Agha, and Avinash Chandra. Additionally, collectors will find magnificent works on paper and prints by Jagdish Swaminathan, Ivan Peries, Satish Gujral, Gulammohammed Sheikh, and Bhupen Khakhar, among others.

Bringing a contemporary flair to the sale is a striking selection of works by celebrated artists such as Zarina, Shahzia Sikander, Rina Banerjee, Nalini Malani, Bani Abidi, Nataraj Sharma, and Jagannath Panda.

Here are some of the eminent artists to watch out for at Christie’s ‘South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art’ Online Auction:

1. Avinash Chandra (1931-1991)

Avinash Chandra’s artistic journey was a persistent quest to forge a unique style that was a merging of Indian themes with the bold dynamism of Western Modernism. His formative years at Delhi Polytechnic Art School engrossed him in the visual languages of European and American art movements, laying the groundwork for his ever evolving aesthetic. Later, at the Central School of Art in London, he tried his hands at oil painting, drawing inspiration from the expressive brushwork of Vincent van Gogh and Chaim Soutine. His early pieces were vigorous, abstracted landscapes — homages to the rolling hills of his childhood home in Simla, a motif he would revisit in his later works.

In his late career, Chandra broke free from the structured confines of academic training, and embraced a more impulsive, spontaneous and personal approach to art. He shifted his gaze to the female form, which emerged as the central theme in his later works — depicted with fluid, graceful lines and often imbued with an erotic energy. Though sensual imagery was a recurrent element in all his works, it was never isolated — rather was woven into a broader artistic exploration. Chandra distilled the female body into bold, abstracted shapes, often juxtaposed against a charged, spatial interplay of phallic symbols — an approach that underscored the raw, elemental power of his compositions.

2. Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003)

Bhupen Khakhar, a trailblazing Indian painter, was known for his intimate depictions of everyday life. Born in Bombay in 1934 and influenced by Indian miniatures and Henri Rousseau, his work often explored themes of identity and sexuality.

He worked as an accountant in Baroda while pursuing art on the side. Often reflecting his homosexuality, his paintings carried a sense of longing and yearning in a society that condemned and frowned upon it. He even appeared as an accountant in Salman Rushdie’s “The Moor’s Last Sigh” (1995) and painted Rushdie’s portrait, “The Moor”.

Khakhar passed away in 2003. His work is now housed at the prestigious institutions such as MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery of Modern Art.

3. Gulammohammed Sheikh (B. 1937)

A celebrated writer, critic, and artist, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh has shaped Indian contemporary art since the 1960s with his evocative, story-driven paintings. In 1963, he defied convention by co-founding ‘Group 1890,’ a collective rejecting the doldrums of past artistic styles. Often rooted in Indian traditions, his work blends influences from Persian, Mughal, and Pahari miniatures, Bhakti and Sufi poetry, and magical realism — alongside a deep admiration for European Renaissance art. His canvases weave together history, mythology, and personal memories, filled with labyrinthine maps, legendary figures, and dreamlike narratives that explore the shared human experience.

4. Jyoti Bhatt (B. 1934)

Jyoti Bhatt (b. 1934, Bhavnagar, Gujarat) studied painting and printmaking at M.S. University, Baroda, under K.G. Subramanyan. Scholarships took him to Italy and New York, where he explored abstract expressionism.

Initially influenced by cubism, he later embraced pop-art imagery before drawing from traditional folk designs. Though he worked in various mediums, his printmaking brought him the most recognition. In the late ’60s, a seminar on Gujarati folk art led to a lifelong passion for documenting India’s traditional crafts through photography.

A founding member of the Baroda Group of Artists and Group 1890, Bhatt received numerous awards, including the Padma Shri (2019). He lives and works in Vadodara.

5. K. Laxma Goud (B. 1940)

Laxma Goud’s art brings myth and rural life to vivid, dramatic heights. His intricate etchings, pastels, charcoal drawings, paintings, and sculptures showcase armored heroes, vibrant goddesses, and everyday village life with striking energy. Inspired by his childhood in rural India, he weaves in tribal ornaments and traditional attire like lungis and saris. His works pulse with sensuality, featuring bold eroticism within pastoral scenes. Goud’s art has been exhibited worldwide, from New York to Mumbai, and is housed in collections like the Phillips Collection and the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.

6. Krishen Khanna (B. 1925)

Krishen Khanna, born in 1925 in Lyallpur (now in Pakistan), is a renowned Indian artist based in New Delhi. Educated at Imperial Service College, England, and Government College, Lahore, he has showcased his work at esteemed venues like the National Gallery of Modern Art and MoMA. A recipient of the Rockefeller Fellowship, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, Khanna is a contemporary of legendary artists F. N. Souza, M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and others.

7. Manu Parekh (B. 1939)

Born in 1939 in Gujarat, Manu Parekh earned his Diploma in Drawing and Painting from Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, in 1962. His early work celebrated the dynamic bond between man and nature. Over the years, he received several prestigious honors, including the President of India’s Silver Plaque (1972), the National Award from Lalit Kala Akademi (1982), and the Padma Shri (1992). His artworks have been featured in auctions worldwide. Parekh currently lives and works in New Delhi.

8. Maqbool Fida Husain (1913-2011)

M.F. Husain, a pioneering Indian painter, was known for his bold, colourful works of horses, cityscapes, Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, and nude Hindu goddesses. Influenced by Cubism, his provocative art often sparked controversy. Born in 1915 in Pandharpur, he started as a calligrapher and movie poster artist in Mumbai. A 1953 trip to Europe exposed him to masters like Picasso and Matisse. Exiled in 2006 over legal disputes, he spent his later years in Qatar and the UK. He died in 2011 in London. His works are housed in major museums worldwide.

9. Sadanand Bakre (1920-2007)

Sadanand K. Bakre, born in Baroda in 1920, moved to Bombay, where his talent for art was spotted in school. Encouraged by his teacher, he pursued painting seriously and, by 16, held his first solo exhibition featuring drawings, still-life works, watercolors, and clay models.

In 1939, he joined Sir J.J. School of Art’s Sculpture department, mastering Academic Realism with ease. Hardworking and inventive, he quickly learned clay modeling, plaster casting, and bronze work, earning multiple awards for his innovative sculptures. Graduating in 1944 with a Diploma in Sculpture and the prestigious Lord Harding Scholarship, Bakre remained a restless artist, always exploring new materials, techniques, and forms of expression.

10. Sudhir Patwardhan (B. 1949)

Born in Pune, Maharashtra, in 1949, Sudhir Patwardhan trained as a doctor at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, and worked as a radiologist in Thane from 1975 to 2005. Deeply influenced by the urban landscapes of Thane and Mumbai, his art captures the pulse of a growing middle class with remarkable empathy.

His recent exhibitions include Fragments of Belonging at the Bengal Biennale and The Imaginary Institution of India at London’s Barbican Centre (2024). In 2019–2020, a major retrospective, Walking Through Soul City, curated by Nancy Adajania, was showcased at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai. Over his career, Patwardhan has presented more than fifteen solo shows at esteemed venues like Vadehra Art Gallery, Delhi (2017), Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (2017), and Gallerie 88, Kolkata (2016). A significant exhibition, Hamsafar (1970–2018), was hosted at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal (2018).