Pundole Auction Art House Experience- Summer 2024

My experience with art has not been particularly notable throughout my life, but it certainly

hasn’t been without its privileges either. It’s what I would consider average—most of my artistic

education has been a combination of textbook learning and theory, with the occasional trip to an

art museum as a treat. I would observe each piece, appreciating its delicate craftsmanship while

analyzing the technical and historical elements that secured its place of honor in its home

institution, where it is displayed as a time-honored treasure for all to admire. However, my

experience with art had never been quite like the one I had during my brief stay in Mumbai.

While the art I had seen before carried a dormant, self-assured confidence, which I tried to

reconcile with the modern world in all its chaotic uncertainty, the modern and contemporary

works of the Bombay art scene had a completely new type of confidence. Each work I

encountered during my stay brimmed with an overflowing energy, taking the issues of modernity

in stride. Moreover, they embodied the specific environment from which they emerged. They

radiated the vibrant warmth of the people I encountered, and they eased the dissonance between

the vertical buildings and the untamed flora and fauna weaving through the city. This became

clear to me through the wild scribbles of F.N. Souza’s pen, the fairytale-like yet geometric

constructions of Ram Kumar, and the organic constructions of V.S. Gaitonde.

My time in Mumbai was encapsulated by this union of the tranquil and the lively. Each morning,

I would wake up at the Cricket Club of India, have my coffee on the veranda, and prepare for my

cab ride through the bustling streets. The city was constantly in motion, constantly changing. I

would then arrive at Pundole’s, where I would stroll through the current auction

collection—perhaps worth a year’s tuition at Penn. Masterpiece after masterpiece lay before me,

waiting to be examined, measured, and inspected for signatures (by me!) Then, I would walk into

the office to hear about the upcoming auction and prepare for the flurry of excitement that would

soon ensue. After a few hours of research, a communal lunch, and another coffee break, I would

leave work and embark on whatever adventure awaited me—whether it was a visit to an artist's

residency, a meeting with the gallery owner at Tarq, a tour of the National Gallery of Modern

Art, a visit to Gandhi’s room at the Mani Bhavan, or dining at Bastian on the 48th floor of

Kohinoor Square.

My time in Mumbai exceeded my expectations, and I have nothing but the utmost gratitude to

extend to Mallika Sagar and Vir Advani for their kindness and heartfelt warmth throughout my

stay, and to Dadiba and Khorshed Pundole for helping to facilitate such a memorable and

life-changing opportunity. I would also like to thank everyone at Pundole's auction house for

making each day full of fun and laughter. Thank you to Tamara Rasquinha, who made my work

at the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation something I took great pride in. I also wish to extend

my gratitude to Dinesh Barap for the wonderful commissioned piece of Warli art I received from

hi. And certainly, last but not least, I would like to thank Priya Jaikishan for showing me how to

party at the Bombay Gymkhana on a Friday night.