A spotlight on galleries participating in Art Expo India 2009: Apparao and Sakshi

Apparao Galleries:
The renowned gallery baseed in Chennai provides a window to the exciting trends that emerge from South India. With the globalization of art coupled with a keen interest in contemporary art, Sharan Apparao has built Apparao Galleries into one of India's prominent art galleries.

The gallery has promoted some of the most renowned Indian contemporary artists. In particular, it caters to the aesthetic needs of the Indian Diaspora. Originally known as 'The Gallery', the venture was launched in 1984. The website notes:

"The gallery has the basis to source quality artworks for their auction house. It's nurtured with passion by Sharan Apparao who firmly believes in 'art for art's sake'. The gallery looks at art with an open mind and continues to inspire artists and art lovers from all walks of life."

The art space deals with established artists while also building unknown emerging artists into 'brands' in the art world. Apparao Galleries understand the needs of the collectors and acts as a consultant to authenticate and document all aspects of contemporary art for private and corporate collectors.

Sakshi Gallery:
The gallery announced the opening of its first overseas branch in Taipei, Taiwan in January this year. The inaugural show featured works of acclaimed Indian artists such as Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Chintan Upadhyay, Sunil Gawde, Riyas Komu, Sumedh Rajendran, Surendran Nair and Valay Shende.

Commenting on the venture, director of the gallery Geetha Mehra had then noted,

“The cultures of India and Taiwan are similar which has contributed towards evoking a greater affinity to the art of one another. The city has a lot of potential. Not only does it have a long history of very informed and committed collectors but it also enjoys a vibrant and cutting-edge art scene, both of which we’ll like to partake of.”

The gallery has on offer an extensive record of India’s contemporary art scene. Some of the artists whose works find place in the gallery collection are Laxman Shrestha, Manisha Parekh, Manjit Bawa, Minal Damani, Mithu Sen, Nalini Malani, Natraj Sharma, Navjot, Nilima Sheikh, Palaniappan r.m, Paramjit Singh, Ram Kumar and Ranbir Singh Kaleka among others.