Christie's London to Host First South Asian Modern Art Auction in Seven Years

Christie's will conduct its inaugural London sale of South Asian Modern and contemporary art since 2019, titled 'Sublime Shadows,' on June 11. The auction features 93 pieces from an undisclosed private collection, with a strong emphasis on works from Bengal. This event occurs during a significant surge in the market for Indian art, highlighted by recent record-breaking sales, including a $27 million total at Christie's New York. Damian Vesey, Christie's international specialist in South Asian Modern and Contemporary, notes that the current market represents a positive cycle, with growing collector education and institutional engagement. The collection includes rare pieces by artists such as Ganesh Pyne, whose tempera paintings blend Bengali folk art with Surrealist elements, and Meera Mukherjee, alongside early 20th-century Bengali painters like Abanindranath Tagore and Ram Kinkar Baij. The sale also features works by Santiniketan alumnus Somnath Hore and Bangladeshi abstract painter Mohammad Kibria. While Christie's states this does not indicate a strategic shift, the London sale outside the usual New York schedule reflects increased competition, following Sotheby's London auction that realized $25.5 million and Saffronart's $40.2 million sale. London has become a key hub for South Asian art due to its capital markets and cultural ties, with Astaguru, India's largest auction house, expanding operations there. Vesey asserts that heightened competition demonstrates the market's depth and strength.