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In the three decades since she began collecting, Aarti Lohia has developed some clear ideas about art philanthropy. Based in London since 2016, following stints in Singapore and Indonesia, she focuses on India, where she originally came from and where her efforts are best utilized. “Indian collectors give back to get something in return,” says Lohia. We have a long way to go to develop a culture of charity.
She recently established the SP Lohia Foundation, named after her father-in-law, Indian-born Indonesian industrialist and lithograph collector Sri Pakash Lohia. The Foundation’s efforts include a recent gift to the National Gallery in London to support its Modern and Contemporary program. Lohia plans to fund an area she feels has received little attention: archiving and digitization. “South Asian art archives are generally less accessible, and less impressive,” says Lohia. “You have to work to keep the archives in a systematic way. There are not enough philanthropists interested in this field, but it is very important.
Lohia sits on the board of the Kochi Biennale Foundation and is a member of the Council of Serene Galleries, the Tate South Asia Buying Committee and the International Council of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Art Gazette: What was the first work you bought?
Aarti Lohia: Oil painting Looking for Wings (2002) by Indonesian artist Putu Sutawijaya. I bought it from an auction house as a 19-year-old newlywed for my wedding in Jakarta. It is explosive, orange and two meters long.
What was your most recent purchase?
I bought her from Galerie LJ in Paris Watercolor by Ritika Merchant. Phoenix Festival series (2021-22). What I love about the businesswoman, who splits her time between Mumbai and Barcelona, ​​is that she’s a bit East-West like me. I first noticed it through her collaboration with the fashion brand Chloe. As a board member of the British Fashion Council and a textile collector, I love when fashion and art overlap.
If your house was on fire, which job would you save?
In the year A 1977 photograph by Martin Parr shows two men sitting in a Hungarian bathhouse playing chess. My son is a young chess champion, so his work takes up a lot of my life.
If money was no object, what would be your dream purchase?
It’s less about money, and more because the work of this artist is not often available on the market. Nicholas Roerich, Russian painter and philosopher. He used to make the most amazing pictures of the Himalayas – I have never seen anything like it. I used to buy all his works.
What’s the most amazing place you’ve ever shown a piece of work?
I love fashion and fabrics. At home, I have mannequins where I can display vintage fabrics like Phulkari embroidery or an Alexander McQueen jacket.
What do you wish you could buy when you get the chance?
A series of watercolors by Nalini Malani, who has an upcoming National Gallery London exhibition [2 March-11 June 2023]. I was introduced to her galleries years ago. Now I’m kicking myself for not buying it.
Which artists, dead or alive, would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Sincerely, Shilpa Gupta. She is one of the most talented minds in the art world globally. I invite her, and the well-spoken William Kentridge, to explain Shilpa’s work to me, because sometimes it’s too hard for me to understand. And I want to meet Basquiat. I’m interested in his journey from DJ to visual artist.
What’s the best dating advice you’ve ever been given?
Haha! I never got advice. I was very young when I started collecting and the concept of art advice is new to me. This is all my own research.
Have you bought NFT?
I don’t buy NFT. For me, art is an experience, and buying contemporary artists is getting to know the artist personally. NFTs feel very transactional.
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