The inclusion of art from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is part of Saffronart’s continued efforts to build a strong platform for contemporary art from the subcontinent.
Featuring themes of identity, migration and socio-economic issues, highlights from the contemporary section include works by Valay Shende (Lot 92, Untitled, INR 30 – 35 lakhs/ USD 46,875 – 54,690) following his highly successful public sculpture, Dabbawala, installed at Haji Ali in Mumbai; Tayeba Begum Lipi (Lot 69, Untitled, INR 3.8 – 5.1 lakhs /USD 6,000 – 8,000), one of Bangladesh’s foremost contemporary artists, whose work was recently shown at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan; and Subodh Gupta whose Sat Samunder Par (9), (Lot 68, INR 60 – 80 lakhs/ USD 93,750 – 125,000) belongs to a series of large-scale works addressing the phenomenon of migration in modern times.
“Saffronart’s leadership in the contemporary South Asian art space is reflected in the meticulous research, sourcing of material and exciting presentation of the lots in the catalogue. We are excited to be able to preview this alongside works of Indian Modernism in our flagship online summer sale.” – Abha Housego, Head of Saffronart UK
The sale features key works of modern Indian art from eminent private collections, including Falling Figure by Tyeb Mehta (Lot 98, INR 2 – 3 crores/ USD 312,500 – 468,750), offered by the artist’s daughter. The work is one of the earliest of what became a seminal series in his oeuvre. Another Falling Figure was sold by Saffronart in February 2017 for INR 6 crores, highlighting the significance of this series.
Saffronart strongly believes in the importance of the international market and have sourced works from around the globe. The lead lot, The Herald by F N Souza, (1961 oil on canvas) from a private collection in South America was originally believed by the owner’s daughter to be the work of a South American artist. It was subsequently revealed to be from F N Souza’s extremely successful 1961 exhibition at Gallery One, London, described by his biographer Edwin Mullins, as Souza’s ‘most impressive of all’. Combining clear imagery with stark emotion, the painting reveals Souza’s own views on humanity, and carries an estimate of INR 1.92 – 3.2 crores (USD 300,000 – 500,000).
The auction will take place on saffronart.com on 6 – 7 June 2017, and is preceded by viewings of select lots in New York, London, New Delhi and Mumbai. All lots can be viewed on the website once the catalogue is live.