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Art is a part of history, and collecting art is the journey that allows you to make this history your own. Whether you
choose to collect a 17
th
century stone sculpture, a thought‒provoking contemporary art installation, or a pair of
exquisite earrings by one of the greatest jewellery designers of our time, you have brought home a piece of history –
which, over time, becomes a part of your own legacy.
I find this sentiment perfectly – literally, even – expressed in a light sculpture by Shilpa Gupta that I own, which
spells out the word “History” in scrawling letters. Casting its neon red glow across the room of my house, this
installation represents a poignant metaphor for the passage of time. At the same time, as with many of Gupta’s public
installations, it ensures its own place in posterity, as it does
for the one who collects it. A similar installation by the
artist in this catalogue reads “Today,” bringing us full circle
to the relevance of art in difficult times, and why it will
always continue to matter.
This catalogue is a testament to the 20‒year journey of
collecting that Minal and I have been on together, perhaps
even before we conceived of Saffronart. The carefully
curated collection of art, jewellery, furniture, collectibles,
and books in this sale offers a glimpse into our own tastes
and acquisitions – and the stories that accompany them.
To me, collecting is a passion that is only intensified by
one’s personal history of how or why we come around to
collecting a work of art. To quote Walter Benjamin, “Every
passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion
borders on the chaos of memories.”
I embark on this trip down memory lane with the legendary
Francis Newton Souza, one of India’s greatest modernists. One
might even say that it all began with him. He was one of the
first artists whose works I bought, and who encouraged Minal
and I to start Saffronart. He was also the first artist – along
with Baiju Parthan – to complete a month‒long art residency
in Los Angeles with the newly‒opened Saffronart in 2001, and
our relationship only strengthened until his death a year later.
Souza encouraged me to follow my dream and be relentless
in the process of learning and adapting – a lesson which feels
especially relevant today.
Just like Souza, who left Indian shores for London in
1949 and was exposed to European and Western art,
my frequent visits to London as a child, and my travels
later – especially, a memorable visit to the Norton Simon
Museum in Pasadena – opened up new worlds. Not only
did I see great art by masters such as Picasso, Dalí and Miró
at auction houses, I also realised how Indian antiquities and
aesthetics had influenced artists and collectors globally. I
was in awe of ancient Indian sculptures, especially stone
and bronze, and I began to inform myself about – and
collect – bits and pieces of our country’s rich 5000‒year
old legacy.
Over the years, Minal and I have collected works by
both modern and contemporary Indian artists. With the
Modernists, it was a combination of being exposed to
their art when growing up and our continued love for it.
For instance, we started collecting a rare and unusual set
of wooden toys by M F Husain right after our youngest
daughter was born. Coincidentally, it is said that Husain
made them right after the birth of his first son and daughter,
during his early, struggling years in pre‒Independence India
PROLOGUE
D I NE SH VAZ I RAN I
Dinesh Vazirani with F N Souza
Minal and Dinesh Vazirani
Installation view of Shilpa Gupta,
History