Roving Rights

He is a lawyer. She is a textile designer. He spent his childhood in the bustling city of Kolkata. She was a Parisian working to pep up the sales of a textile house. What brought the two together is their passion for art. Their love for hues brewed romance between Anais and Abhishek Basu when they first met through common friends in 2006. They waited for three years to get married,but in 2007 they established a new enterprise,Calcutta Arts Club,aimed at promoting upcoming artists from world over. Their aim is to give them global opportunities. If lesser known artists from Bengal were taken to Milan,Barcelona,London,Paris and Singapore in an exhibition in 2008,by them,this week the duo is in Delhi with the works of Burmese artist Zaw Win Pe.

“There are a lot of opportunities for well-established artists but not young talent. We will be showcasing different forms of art,including photography,design and performing arts,” says Abhishek. Wife Anais,meanwhile,takes a close look at the artwork being exhibited at Gallery Romain Rolland,Alliance Francaise. The mosaic-like canvases layered with oil applied with a palette knife are rich in colours. In the semi-abstract landscapes,Pe depicts the scenic Myanmar,its tranquil countryside and paddy fields. He is not known in India,but in Myanmar he is the face of the country’s contemporary art movement and winner of the inaugural Myanmar Contemporary Art Awards,2004. Anais and Abhishek were introduced to him by a Singapore-based art collector. Overwhelmed with his work,the duo decided to visit him at his studio in Yangon in 2009. “We knew his work would be appreciated in India,” says Abhishek,who subsequently exchanged several emails with the artist to select work for the travelling exhibition in India.

The quest to scout for young talent had also led the couple to the studios of artists across Kolkata for a show on Bengal art. In the group of five artists,each had a different theme. If the youngest,Subir Dey,based his work on Kalighat patachitra and Madhubani paintings; Pradip Das painted abstracts and Madhuchanda Majumder had contemporary landscapes. “Variety is important,” says Abhishek,who launched the Calcutta Arts Club in India in 2010,two years after it organised its first exhibition in Milan in May 2008. The show titled “Bengal Trail” travelled to Chennai,Bengaluru,Mumbai,New Delhi and Kolkata.

The price-point draws in the crowd,but working with lesser-known artists has its challenges. “The logistics need to be worked out,” says Abhishek. The first show was organised with the couple’s savings and though they have managed to break even,the PR machinery works overtime to generate awareness about the activities of the club. “We recently introduced a residency programme. French artist Prune Nourry was in Kolkata in August and October,working on a series based on the rising incidents of female infanticide. More residencies are lined-up in Milan and Paris,” says Abhishek. That might take a while though. The calender this year is packed with exhibitions in Kolkata,Chennai and Mumbai.