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Three Indian artistes’ sculptures auctioned at Hong Kong Sotheby’s for WWF Tiger conservation
Proceeds from an auction held at Sotheby’s Hong Kong gallery will be used for the conservation of tigers in Southeast Asia
In the early 20th century, around 1,00,000 tigers roamed the earth. But with poachers and encroachers, their numbers have dwindled. Currently, there are 3,900 tigers in the world, reports World Wildlife Fund. There is an estimated 2,967 tigers that live in India, according to a 2018 national census. An international auction was held yesterday at Sotheby’s Hong Kong gallery to raise funds for the tiger conservation activities in Southeast Asia. Out of the 56 artworks, two sculptures were created by three artistes — Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kehr and Michelle Poonawalla — who represented the Indian subcontinent.
Poonawalla’s Striped Tiger sculpture was inspired by the common Indian butterfly that shares the same name. Explaining her inspiration, she says, “This butterfly gave me an idea to create a sculpture (tiger sculpture) with its wings on the tiger’s body. My artwork highlighted the importance of supporting each other and working collectively. In this instance, both the creatures are borrowing from each other’s strength, support, and positivity.”
The husband-wife duo Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kehr have collaborated on a sculpture, titled Puli, which is an amalgamation of their joined themes — the utensils and the bindi with a fibreglass tiger head. “Some of our most memorable moments together have been in the lap of Nature, specifically on the Masai Mara trail in Kenya and closer home in India at the Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan) tiger safari,” says Gupta, as Kehr adds, “As artists, we look towards Nature for inspiration, it’s our greatest teacher.”
