M.F. Husain's 'Safdar Hashmi', estimated at INR 4,75,00,000.
September 14, 2022: Indian auction house, AstaGuru, has announced two exceptional auctions that perfectly chronicle the vibrant legacy of Indian art. The finely curated selection of avant-garde works comes from the oeuvre of several eminent artists.
The first art auction titled ‘Present Future’ will be held on September 22-23, 2022, with an eclectic assortment of 81 works, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, as well as some vibrant examples of mixed media art by leading contemporary artists such as Anish Kapoor, Thukral & Tagra, Surendran Nair, Raqib Shaw, Debanjan Roy, Nataraj Sharma, T.V. Santhosh, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Jagannath Panda, Dhananjay Singh and Suryakant Lokhande, among others.
An Anish Kapoor stainless steel structure, estimates beginning from INR 5,50,00,000.
Two exceptional works by sculptor Anish Kapoor lead the auction with the artist’s notable series of reflective stainless steel discs he has been creating since the 1990s. Lot no. 81 is over 5 feet in diameter and was built in 2011. It will be offered at an estimate of INR 5,50,00,000-7,50,00,000. Lot no. 17, dated 2005, is another stunning, more miniature sculpture by Anish Kapoor created in bronze and lacquer.
Debanjan Roy is known for his fascination with Gandhi as a subject for his sculptures and has featured the Father of the Nation in his works throughout his career. The Super Gandhi (Ed. 5) sculpture sees the artist reimagining the Mahatma as Superman wearing the superhero’s signature red cape and Gandhi’s trademark dhoti.
M.V. Dhurandhar's 100 year old painting, depicting Draupadi's vastraharan, estimated at INR 2,25,00,000.
Scheduled on September 25-26, ‘Modern Treasures’ showcases a range of rare and unseen artworks by iconic figures of modern Indian art such as M.V. Dhurandhar, Tyeb Mehta, M. F. Husain, F.N. Souza, K. H. Ara, Jehangir Sabavala, S. H. Raza, Ganesh Pyne, Ram Kumar, Jogen Chowdhury, and Bikash Bhattacharjee to name a few. Several of these artworks appear in an auction for the first time. Leading the lineup is a work by artist Tyeb Mehta, lot no. 22, appearing in an auction for the first time. Scaling over 5 feet, this oil on canvas painting is from his Diagonal series, considered one of his most important bodies of work.
Appearing in auction for the first time is lot no. 13, a 100-year-old work by M.V. Dhurandhar. Executed in 1922, the untitled oil on canvas painting captures what is undoubtedly the most critical moment in the epic Mahabharata. Known as Draupadi Vastraharan, the grave disgrace of Draupadi at the hands of the Kaurava brother, Dushasana, became the genesis of the epic battle at Kurukshetra.
Tyeb Mehta's Diagonal, estimated at INR 19,95,00,000.
Another notable work of art is ‘Safdar Hashmi’ by M. F. Husain, telling how deeply he was affected by the killing of a fellow artist. Regarded as one of the most important works from M. F. Husain’s oeuvre, this work spanning over 10 feet is a testament to his fearless and boundless artistic approach to portraying the injustices that occur in society. This work was also the first painting of Modern Indian Art to a record-winning bid of Rs 10 lakhs at the Times of India auction on the INS Jawahar in 1989.
Talking about the upcoming auctions, Sneha Gautam, Vice President, Client Relations, AstaGuru Auction House states, “The ‘Present Future’ auction represents prevalent art trends and gives an insight into the future of contemporary Indian art while the ‘Modern Treasures’ auction presents a wholesome view of the journey of Modern Indian Art, with works spanning multiple periods and genres. The Indian art market is constantly expanding and witnessing new possibilities in terms of the influx of important works. So, we have finely curated the catalogues to bring works that are not only rare and unique but also shed a light on extremely important phases in the career of these artists. These auctions are a great opportunity for our collectors to add great aesthetic value to their art collection.”
