Kekoo Gandhy : A connoisseur Par Excellence

 

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           NOVEMBER 11 , 2012           11.20 P.M.

Kekoo Gandhy, co-founder of Mumbai’s Gallery Chemould , one of the oldest commercial art galleries of India , passed away in Mumbai on November 10 , 2012 . He was 92 at the time of his death .

He , along with his wife Khorshed , opened his Gallery Chemould in 1963 at the first floor of Jehangir Art Gallery . Last month on October 17 , 2012 , Jehangir Art Gallery completed 60 years of its existence . It is ironical that Kekoo Gandhy died within a month of this historic event .

Jahangir Art Gallery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have written a blog about the 60th year of Jehangir Art Gallery . I am posting the link :

20 Oct Kamal N. Chaturvedi ‏@VidurChaturvedi

60 Years of Jahangir Art Gallery http://wp.me/ptyXI-2nj

Kekoo Gandhy is considered one of the most significant figures in shaping India’s modern art . He established Chemould Frames, his frame manufacturing business through which he started his association with Mumbai’s first group of post-modern painters like ; Maqbool Fida  Husain , Syed Haider Raza , Tyeb Mehta and Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar , a.k.a. K. K. Hebbar .

When there were practically no venues in Mumbai for showing modern art , Gandhy would use his showroom window as an informal exhibiting space for budding artists and also seek prospective clients for them.

“Despite being such a huge figure on the art circuit, he was never intimidating to young artists . He was known to be friendly and approachable though he belonged to a different generation ,” said painter Atul Dodiya , who has held several shows at Gandhy’s gallery.

In 2007, Gallery Chemould moved out of Jehangir Art Gallery to a larger, state-of-the-art space . It is now headed by his daughter Shirin Gandhy .

I am not a connoisseur of modern art . It is not because of lack of appreciation but because of my penury . I don’t have money to buy paintings or a huge space to display them properly . But whenever I visit South Mumbai , I do visit Jehangir Art Gallery at Kala Ghoda . I love to be there .

I don’t know Kekoo Gandhy in personal capacity . I knew him through the columns of news papers . I do know that he is considered a father – figure in the field of modern art . His demise is really an irreparable loss .

I express my condolences . On behalf of me and my Acting Institute , Vidur’s Kreating Charakters , I pray for the departed soul .

May his soul rest in peace !

[ Since I had no contacts with Kekoo Gandhy , I have quoted relevant facts of his life from news papers like , Times Of India and Indian Express . I am indebted . ]

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