It’s a saas-bahu story with a difference. Of course, they aren’t your ordinary saas-bahu in any case. Asha Raje Gaekwad of the Baroda royal family and her daughter-in-law Praggyashree have found a common cause – the promotion of Nepalese artists who have never been able to exhibit their talent where it matters.
Their common cause also stems from their common background. Both were born into aristocratic families of Nepal and settled in India after marriage. Now these Nepalese beauties are looking to bring to India a glimpse of the art they grew up appreciating in their former homeland.
“When you belong to the royal family, learning and appreciating art is a part of your growing up days,” says Asha Raje. “Whenever and wherever we traveled, going to art museums and galleries was a must in our itinerary. My grandfather Singha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana had a huge library that had hundreds of books just on art. I have grown up appreciating art in all its forms,” she asserts.
While she is partial to Rembrandt, Goya and Salvador Dali, among Indian artists, Asha Raje greatly admires the works of Jehangir Sabavala, Anjolie Ela Menon and MF Husain. EvenLaxman Shrestha, who is, incidentally, also from Nepal. But she considers the works of an unsung master, Yusuf Ali, her favourite. “He was extremely good. I strongly believed that he never achieved as much as he was worth but his art was and still is my most prized possession. In the past even I have tried to give more exposure to his art, but somehow he never made it big,” rues Asha Raje, who likes to support young artists with potential.
“Emerging artists in Nepal and India are very talented, but in Nepal, the number of art buyers is very less and even the exposure isn’t too much. So, through the Gaekwad Art Foundation, we want to bring Nepalese artists and their works to be exhibited in India.”
After three years of intensive research, Asha Raje and Praggyashree have identified four Nepalese artists who they will be introducing to India on June 18 at Jehangir Art Gallery. “This is the first time I’ll be promoting Nepalese artists in India, so I had to make sure I brought only the best art works. Both of us have visited Nepal several times a month in this period to support these artists. We would also be showing art lovers works of promising Indian artists in the near future.”
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