The business of art

MY BIG IDEA

Kalpana Shah

Kalpana Shah, 46, a commerce graduate, has had no formal training or background in art. A self-taught artist, her interaction with art was confined to drawing, painting and sketching at home and visiting art galleries in her spare time.

Five years ago, she made the transition from homemaker to owner and manager of the Tao Art Gallery, housed in the plush Sarzan Plaza in Worli, Mumbai.

Shah promotes the works of both established as well as upcoming artists. She has now opened Tao 2.

The early years
I was raised in Mumbai. I was academically bright, and had an interest in drawing and sketching. Whenever something upset me, I turned to drawing for solace.

I wanted to pursue art in college. But my parents, though extremely liberal and open-minded, dissuaded me from joining art school due to the long commute. I finally ended up doing commerce.

My foray into the world of art
I got married soon after college and began life as a homemaker. My husband Pankaj never knew about my passion for art.

Yearning for a child, I would draw sketches of children. My husband came home from a trip one day and saw one of my sketches and was stunned.

With his encouragement, I began to teach myself painting, experimenting with different paints, canvas and genres of art.

The inspiration for Tao
I began visiting several art shows and exhibitions. In 1992, after a spate of riots, I visited an art show where established artists were painting on the street to protest against it.

Something stirred within me. My friend Sangita Jindal suggested I open up my own art gallery. My family had first resisted it.

They thought that I wanted to hang salwar kameezes in the gallery. One day I went home with a sense of purpose, and my husband supported me.

I named my art gallery Tao, which means 'road' or 'way' in Chinese. I wanted my gallery to lead people to art.

The goals of Tao
When I started Tao, I believed that the existing art galleries catered to an upscale clientele interested in buying art.

So Tao was started with the goal of art appreciation for the public. I also wanted to create a gallery that visitors could visit for long periods to savour art, even if they had no intentions of buying. I also wanted to showcase the works of upcoming artists.

Getting started
My first art show was in a building atrium that Pankaj was designing. He is a real-estate developer. He gave me Rs 10-15 lakh for printing invitations, catalogues and establishing infrastructure.

This was in 1993. It has taken us roughly three years to recover our initial investment and in the last two years, we have barely broken even.

Making a profit from such a venture may only be possible five-seven years after the initial investment. Sources of income are primarily art shows and consignments.

However, if you are focused and sincere, the money will follow. It is the creative freedom that I value, and the joy of meeting creative people and artists. Challenges
Initially, I perceived my lack of formal art training as an obstacle. Now, I count it as a blessing, given that I dont feel 'boxed in' by conventional notions of art.

I am very open to non-traditional forms of art. It was my destiny that I married a man who was enthusiastic about my passion for art and was able to finance this passion from dream to reality.

The most difficult challenge now is getting the right kind of art to display.

Future plans
I plan to expand. My own personal stamp is to promote Indian art in a good ambience. I do not plan to acquire more galleries either in Mumbai or elsewhere.

However, I plan to tie up with galleries in other Indian cities for art shows. I am also planning to host shows in London and Japan to promote upcoming Indian artists.

My goal is to help people appreciate and understand Indian art.