From MF Husain to KCS Paniker: Rare works by India’s greatest artists on display in Chennai

Explore an intriguing collection of Indian contemporary art, including rare early works by luminaries of the Madras Art Movement and the Bengal School, from the personal collection of the late entrepreneur Pradipto Mohapatra

Sanghamitra Mohapatra’s earliest memories with art are placed in the sprawling Cholamandal Artist’s Village: every Sunday, as a little girl, she would be left to play with other children as her father, entrepreneur Pradipto Mohapatra, caught up with his artist friends and perhaps even picked up a canvas or two on the way out. Most of these artists went on to become the greats of the Madras Art Movement.

She admits to having no clue of who they were or what they did until much after. Today, she wraps up a very challenging five-year project: painstakingly cataloguing her late father’s vast collection of artworks, with a sensitively curated show at Focus Art Gallery to honour his passion for art.

This collection, built lovingly over decades, holds many remarkable pieces: KCS Paniker’s rare paper sketches, RB Bhaskaran’s cats, KH Ara’s breathtaking large-format work  ‘Nude’ and Laxma Goud’s etchings on metal plates: the crème de la crème of Indian contemporary art.

An MF Husain stands almost hidden on one of the crowded walls of Focus Art Gallery. Yet, it is unmissable. A simple watercolour on paper, characterised by the artist’s early brushstrokes, the work shows two women, perhaps dancers, accompanied by a meditating saint in whites. Inside, an entire wall features the Bengal School as Ajay De’s birds are captured in arresting shadows, and Suhas Roy’s beautiful pastel works of the female form sit beside forms of Christ, personalised by different cultures and artists in their own regard. A few sculptures, mostly in stone and metal, also make an appearance.

Collectively, they form around 275 works that span veteran artists, varied schools of thought, and changing styles that Pradipto Mohapatra, the man behind retail chains like FoodWorld, MusicWorld, Health & Glow and HMV India, collected over 40-odd years.

Sanghamitra remembers him as “the picture of health”, affable with a keen interest in horology and historical artifacts. Mohapatra loved his art and watches. “As for art, He was a huge fan of the Bengal School of Art, and the Madras Art Movement. He had a deep understanding of the Bengal School and the history of it,” says Sanghamitra. His father-in-law was an avid collector too. “Between father-in-law and son-in-law, a lot of notes were exchanged,” she recalls. This is also how a lot of works that characterise the Bombay School, like KH Ara, made it into the collection. The display is a fascinating walk through evolving thoughts, ideas and sensibilities. 

In a collection as vast as this, dating and research pose unavoidable challenges. To make sense of the collection and devise a loose narrative, Sanghamitra did her own research into each of these artists’ lives. “Then there are provenances for each artwork: authenticity papers and invoices which give us an idea about the mediums and the prices. Some of them were bought pre-1990s, and don’t have the authenticity papers. For those, I had to dive into each piece, reach out to the family or an expert in the field to put the certification together,” she says.