Touch of Divine

The newest collection of paintings by Aslam Shaikh,titled ‘Celestial Horses’,was unveiled in a fascinating soiree hosted by Nina Pillai and Chhaya Momaya,last evening at the Trident. The paintings,which focus on the bold and vibrant depictions of horses,were spread out at the venue for the preview of the exhibition that will showcase the London-based artist’s work at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery,from August 2-8.

The preview drew the art connoisseurs and socialites of Mumbai in hordes. Shaina NC,Bikram Saluja,Schauna Chauhan,Kailash and Aarti Surendranath,Esther and Raju Daswani and Kamal and Niranjan Hiranandani arrived looking their best and added to the evening’s buzz. The star of the evening,however,was Pillai,resplendent in a bright red dress and huge solitaires. A well-known art collector for almost three decades,Pillai set up Triveda Fine Arts Private Limited nearly seven years ago. This organisation is dedicated to promoting art,apart from functioning as an auction house.

What added to the mood of the evening was the sound of tabla. In a roomful of large paintings of horses,this created a surreal feeling of the elegant creatures coming alive.