Mastering the art of collecting art

[1]

Art collector Poonam Shroff

At the fifth edition of the fair, Amin Jaffer, International Director of Asian Art, Christie’s turned moderator discussing the nuances of collecting in a speakers’ session that had Hameed Haroon, CEO, Dawn Media Group, Pakistan and Poonam Bhagat Shroff, famous collector from Mumbai, and Nadia Samdhani, founder, Samdhani Art Gallery together.

Talking about her collection, Poonam Bhagat Shroff puts forth, “In 60s, my parents were into collecting art. I grew up amidst artists and amazing works of art. So it was only natural that I became a collector post my college. My art collection has works of most contemporary artists like Rabindra Reddy, Anish Kapoor, Jitish Kallat, Subodh Gupta, Jagannath Panda. I choose paintings and installations that suit my personality.”
Nadia Samdhani is a young collector based in Bangladesh. Most of her collection is bold and daring. “Many of my artworks are dynamic and have political connotation and feminist inclinations, and are strongly steeped in our turbulent history. I like to present a certain narrative through my art collection,” adds Nadia.
Hamid Haroon has been collecting art for years now. Does he intend to pass it on to someone? “Most of my collection has historical, spiritual and religious tones. They are integral to my existence. I have decided to pass it on to my nieces, who can turn my house into a museum. As a collector, I am a custodian of certain tradition,” smiles Haroon.