Friday, May 25, 2012

Maithili Parekh’s journey in the field of visual arts

Maithili Parekh, Director (Business Development India) at Sotheby’s, is a diehard lover and researcher of the contemporary visual arts. Her passion for art received a boost when she moved to America for a Bachelors degree in Art History. She studied at the Brown University, Rhode Island.

After completing her graduation, she headed to New York to join Morgan Stanley, where she kept visiting art galleries. She then pursued a Masters in Art in the UK, and finally moved back to her home country. She worked with several top galleries and again moved to New York to run a gallery there.In 2007, she joined Sotheby’s and currently she is the head of Sotheby’s India.

Maithili Parekh spends her time either evaluating a collection, meeting a collector looking to build a collection, or visiting a museum. The art expert points out that there’s a niche group of buyers looking at cutting edge installations art. According to her, installation art is experimental and abstract kind of art; it’s very different!In Bangladesh, for instance, there are certain artists who even work with their blood! She adds it is a difficult concept to carry on with but there is definitely a market for it.

With the passing away of doyens such as Jehangir Sabavala and Husain, people are eagerly collecting the masters – a marked trend, if she is to be believed. Artist Sheela Gowda, she points out, is another big name currently in the art market to watch out for - noteworthy for her usage of interesting medium such as cow dung. People are keen to collect her works, she reveals.

A self-confessed lover of every aspect related to the visual arts, she talks fondly about collecting art, 'one of her biggest weaknesses', to put it in her words. She and her husband together enjoy the process of acquiring works. While he collects modern works, she looks for contemporary art. Her advice to aspiring collectors is to constantly keep looking for art by visiting galleries till one’s own taste evolves. Also, she advises, not to buy a work just because it appears to be a good deal. Better buy with conviction and your intuition, she concludes.

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