Nigella’s arty choke on sale; causes shock

Illustrations of British ­celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being throttled by her former husband — noted art collector — Charles Saatchi, are up for sale on Saatchi’s own ­website, and the art ­fraternity is not amused.

Illustrations of British ­celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being throttled by her former husband — noted art collector — Charles Saatchi, are up for sale on Saatchi’s own ­website, and the art ­fraternity is not amused.

One-of-the-controversial-illustrations-of--Saatchi-at-Nigella-s-throat

The provocative imagery has evoked strong reactions from around the globe, including Indian ­artists. “Saatchi has been extremely insensitive in the past and has set a very bad example. The fact that he would want to make money off of it is absolutely ­disgusting,” says Anjolie Ela Menon.

The images up for sale depict the same ­incident that transpired a year ago, where Saatchi was photographed putting his hand around Lawson’s neck at a restaurant. Saatchi stands to gain nearly 30% commission from the ‘throttle art’ that sent shockwaves on social media.

While Saatchi has ­defended his decision saying removal of the image would amount to censorship, artist Sanjay Bhattacharya says, “The images are extremely tasteless. They make you cringe. It is his ego and nothing else ... he will regret this later.” Others took to Twitter to condemn the act. “It is ­saying I never did have any taste and that has not changed over the years (sic),” tweeted UK-based ­artist Jane Pickersgill.