INDIAN ART

Two years ago, Indian artist Tyeb Mehta's Mahisasura sold for nearly $1.6 million at a Christie's auction. This shattered the glass ceiling. Since then, with the impact of globalisation,
excitement around Indian art has spiraled.

In 2006, Christie's worldwide sales of Modern and Contemporary Indian Art netted $42.2 million. This boom has attracted both private collectors and international investment funds. Global interest in Indian art has also been nurtured by an increasing number of international exhibitions and prestigious museum buys.

As the works of the old Indian masters — M.F. Husain, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee and S.H. Raza — became prohibitively expensive, buyer attention shifted to a younger generation, throwing up new buzz-names: Atul Dodiya, Paresh Maity, Bose Krishnamachari, Sujata Bajaj, Iranna G.R., to name just a few.

Today, the auction market for Indian art alone is worth $150 million, up from $52 million just the year before.

Compelled by this buoyant atmosphere, Tehelka is organizing an ambitious high glitz, high-buzz art auction in London. Constructed to be a high-profile showcase of Indian art, Art for Freedom will feature canvases painted jointly by top-line Indian artists and eminent citizens. Each canvas presented will be a unique piece of great curiosity and value.

Art For Freedom is being mounted in support of independent media.