Big names for less: Art steals starting at Rs. 1,500

If you love art but are disappointed by the hefty price tags that most works carry, there’s good news for you. Riddhi Doshi reports.

If you love art but are disappointed by the hefty price tags that most works carry, there’s good news for you.

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Colaba’s Sakshi art gallery is hosting an art exhibition titled Easy Buys, offering paintings, sculptures and prints of art works by celebrated artists such as Jitish Kallat, Riyas Komu, Bose Krishnamachari, Krishen Khanna, Akbar Padamsee and Sudarshan Shetty — at prices that range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2 lakh.

The main aim of the exhibition was to attract new, younger buyers, and it seems to be working. In the first week of the month-long exhibition, 30% of the 150 works on offer have already been sold.

“We have had many young people, most of them first-time buyers, buy works from the exhibition,” said gallery director Geeta Mehra.

“I decided to drop by because I’m looking to buy an art work as a gift for my son,” said Subi Lakshmanan, 57, a teacher of cultural studies. “I really like the idea of an affordable art exhibition, and the flea market-style setup. For a change, it’s not intimidating. Some of the works are also very good.”

Among the highlights of the exhibition are limited-edition prints of works by Jogen Chowdhury and KG Subramanian, priced at Rs 5,000; a photograph by Sudarshan Shetty, priced at Rs 15,000; a Krishen Khanna drawing priced at Rs1.5 lakh and an Akbar Padamsee water colour priced at Rs2 lakh.