Their paintings command a high price at auctions and exhibitions. But what do the big names in the art market spend the big bucks on? ETPanache spoke to some marquee artists on what they broke the bank for.
Akbar Padamsee “I bought two flats in Juhu. At the time, the prices were low. I had moved back from Paris to Mumbai and was hunting for a home. I saw the building and went to the builder’s office. I asked if there were any flats vacant, and he replied all were empty. So, I bought two. There is a long corridor, which I have converted into a studio. I have given both the flats to my daughter.”
“[I have spent the most on] A few original graphic prints of Picasso. Since it was very expensive at the time, I kept thinking whether I should buy them. This is more than 20 years ago. I didn’t have much money then, but I still wanted them. It was a dilemma whether to keep the money or spend it. Now, I can’t afford even those prints.”
Jogen Chowdhury “I have spent the most on buying a house. I took a loan in Delhi to buy a flat; it’s still there. At that time, I didn’t have a steady income from art. Finally, when I got more money, I bought land in Shantiniketan [in West Bengal] and built a house.”
“I had to pay around ₹75 lakh for my studio, which is a two-room flat. I bought it during the peak [of real estate prices] about five years ago. I needed it in a relatively accessible area. But I also wanted a place where I would be left alone. So, I bought it on the 16th floor of a 17-storey building. But I think I made a mistake. It’s too cut off [laughs]. I bought it because it had natural light, but it didn’t work out as I envisioned.”
Paresh Maity “I have spent the most on travelling, but to see the world’s best museums, art galleries, and interact with new people, new cultures and see things in new colour and new light. The most expensive trip was in 1990. I went to London and Paris to see the museums and renowned artists’ original works. I wanted to get exposure and see the original work of art and not reproductions.”
Owais Husain “I bought a house in Worli, which I never lived in. That’s the most expensive thing I have bought. My wife, who is a filmmaker, and I lived out of a bag for a long time. Finally, when we were expecting a child, we felt we needed something we could call home. So, we bought the house. Till then, our home was our bags. But an opportunity came and I went off to Goa, then to London, and later Dubai. So, the house has always been shut.”.
