Two milestones don’t come together very often. But Artworld — Sarala’s Art Centre, a second generation art gallery in the city, has had the rare opportunity to commemorate the golden jubilee year of the art gallery and the birth anniversary of its founder Soli Daruwala, who passed away in January this year, just months before his 83rd birthday .
Celebrating the occasions with an exhibition of contemporary artworks by 83 artists, Daruwala’s daughter Sarala Banerjee, says that it is a rare moment when an art gallery can retrace its journey, which was in tandem with an art movement.
“My father introduced contemporary art in South India. We opened at a time when the famous artist KCS Paniker was heading the College of Arts here. The art scene in Chennai was just developing. Artworld has been instrumental in the contemporary art movement. It was at this gallery that several stalwarts like Sunil Das, Jogen Chowdhury and Lalu Prasad Shaw had their one-man shows. The art gallery has grown with the artists. For this occasion, I chose 83 artists, who have been with the gallery, as it is my dad’s 83rd birthday,” Sarala told CE on Saturday, on the opening day of Golden Tributes.
Some of the works displayed include those of big names from the city like AP Paneerselvam, R M Palaniappan, R B Bhaskaran and artists from outside the city like Arpana Caur, Anjolie Ela Menon.
Artworld, which began its journey at the Sapphire Theatre, a space inaugurated by philanthropist Mary Clubwala Jadhav, has travelled to many venues — pentagonal gallery in Connemara, big bungalows in the city to auditoriums — before moving into its current location in Teynampet.
Recounting the years gone past, Sarala says then it was difficult to survive on art. “My father and mother made a modest beginning by making and selling frames and through the sale of handicrafts. They introduced the concept of custom-made frames here. Art was only a side business. Even today, Chennai may not be a place for art or art gallery, but then if you have the passion you can stick it out,” she says. Taking the baton from her father, Sarala says “The challenge has always been to run it. If you have the capital, you can reinvest and encourage more artists. If that’s the passion, you always do it.”
Golden Tributes is on at Artworld- Sarala’s Art Centre, 1/12, Ganesha Puram, 3rd Street, Off Cenotaph Road, Teynampet. Call 24338691