Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Palette
Rohit Gandhi, dressed in a black shirt (partner Rahul Khanna claims he has 400 in his closet) and blue jeans is a master in sophisticated irony. He is happy that winter is over, because in summer Arvind Kejriwal will stop wearing his muffler. “It is disturbing. Very disturbing,” says Rohit, deadpan. In 2001, fashion designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna set up the Palette Art Gallery in Golf Links in spite of condescending questions on what fashion designers know of art. Rahul shrugs. “We took up art to celebrate it.” They do it well. At their shows, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are often seen contemplating canvases.
Rohit finds Delhi’s five star culture “claustrophobic”. They are hungry for more standalone restaurants like Tres. Rahul says, “Delhi gets a trendy place every six months. It needs more roadside cafes, but the weather doesn’t allow it.”
Rohit says, “As gallery owners, it is essential to cultivate buyers. You have to know who buys what.” In the last 10 years, several small galleries in Delhi have shut down. Natch, they have a keen fashion eye. “I get surprised seeing flabby women in body-hugging clothes. They should wear something flowy. They should experiment. You don’t have to fit yourself into a stereotype,” says Rahul, adding that a resort kind of a collection, somewhat zen, looks good on bigger people.
The two feel that times are changing in Delhi, for both the artists and the audience. “People visit the galleries with their children on weekends,” says Rahul. But the two don’t see art as child’s play.
Rahul
Your favourite art place: Victoria andAlbert Museum, London
Fashion disasters of Delhi: Men wearing colourful coordinated jackets and trousers. The printed suit is a total no no for us
Most Stylish artists: Anjum Singh. We love the way Kangana looks (in Queen)
Rohit
Your favourite art place: Victoria andAlbert Museum, London
Fashion disasters of Delhi: Men go for clothes they see in magazines and end up looking like jackasses
Most Stylish artists: Subodh Gupta, Thukral and Tagra