Anil is the wind beneath my wings: Tina Ambani

They say there’s always a woman behind a man’s success. For art connoiseur Tina Ambani, husband and business mogul Anil Ambani forms her pillar of strength too. And she has no qualms in admitting that all her ventures and endeavours receive  full support from her husband.

“Anil is the wind beneath my wings! He has always been a rock of support and has encouraged all my endeavours, whether it is the Harmony Art Foundation, the Harmony for Silvers Foundation or the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital,” she says.

For someone who is handling several causes at a time, doesn’t she get tired? How does she unwind? No surprises here when she opts for the little joys of life like any other woman. “A good book and the company of my children and my husband. In other words, life’s simple pleasures!” she signs off.

Tina Ambani speaks to DNA

Who are your favourite artists?
I don’t like to rate artists. I have always applied intuition, not names or numbers, to art. For me, choosing art has always been about empathy and emotion, that power that a certain work of art has in terms of striking an immediate chord, establishing a moving me deep within.

Every artist undergoes a uniquely individual journey and his work is a product of that life experience. Therefore, art, like any other creative endeavour, is open to multiple perspectives, interpretations and viewpoints.

Would you equate art with a sort of meditation for the artist as well as the art lover?
Yes, I completely agree with that. That’s the magic of the visual image — it has its own language, making words superfluous.

How has the Harmony Art Show evolved over the years?
Today, everyone speaks about the potential of Indian art — we recognised this potential a long time ago. Over the past 16 years, Harmony has showcased the work of nearly 1,600 artists and attracted over half-a-million visitors.

We don’t just exhibit artists; we build relationships with them. Our aim is to make the acquisition of art a more simplified, linear and accessible process. The creation of Harmony Art Foundation was a natural progression from the annual Harmony shows. We wanted to broaden and deepen our institutional engagement with art and artists beyond a one-time annual billet.

For instance, we have held two international residencies hosting artists and sculptors from across the world at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai. Here, we provided an array of facilities and infrastructure on site, including smiths, cutters, fitters, fabricators and carpenters.

And last year, Harmony Art Foundation was commissioned to install artworks along the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line. This takes our mandate to make art more accessible to another level altogether: the public infrastructure sector.

What are the criteria that you go by while selection a certain theme for the exhibition each year?
Art always mirrors society and its evolution, its transitions. That’s how we choose the themes for our shows. For example, two years ago, following the global recession and the trauma of 26/11, we decided to focus on the richness of our own cultural heritage.

This year, for Harmony Art 2011, we take a step forward to celebrate the miniature as inspiration for contemporary creative inquiry. That was the genesis of Fabular Bodies: New Narratives in the Art of the Miniature.

As the name suggests, using diverse media like drawing, painting, sculpture and even comics and computer-generated storyboards, our artists have adapted a tradition close to their hearts and modernised it according to their own perceptions to make powerful statements about the world we live in.

Since the show provides a platform for both the established and the budding artists, do you feel the young and the new get lost somewhere?
Not at all. Our curatorial vision has recognised the potential of some of the most promising Indian artists to have emerged in the past decade.

This is because we haven’t just exhibited promising young talent — we have built relationships with them. We have nurtured them so they are free to do what they do best. This process, which continues today, has enabled them to shine in the spotlight, even when they are showcased alongside established masters.

What are your future plans for the show?
The show has reflected the natural evolution in Indian art practices We will continue to show the best and most innovative work that India has to offer.