Techies go shopping for artworks

BANGALORE: Keyboards and paintbrushes are not a common match and staring at a computer terminal isn’t quite similar to admiring a canvas, but if the interest shown by young techies in Indian art is anything to go by, such occurrences may cease to alarm any longer.

A growing multitude of young men and women are showing an increasing awareness and interest in art.

“Young men and women in their 20s and 30s walk into the gallery and buy art pieces. I do not think they buy it as an investment, but more because they love the work,” said Renu George, director of Time & Space, an art gallery in Bangalore. Young and upcoming artist Virendra Shah has held various exhibitions of his work in the past and feels that despite the steep prices, the interest of young people in art is overwhelming. “My work is priced at anything between Rs 30,000-Rs 50,000 for 2’ X 2’ canvas, and many young techies have bought my work,” said the artist.

However, not all artists are happy with the latest trend of young people buying art. They feel that their lack of knowledge of the medium could make them go wrong with their choices, especially if some of them buy it as an investment. “These young people buy so that their collection of art can be party conversations. Very few buy art because they love and understand the work,” said Yusuf Arakkal, a leading Bangalore-based artist.

Call it love for the medium or just shrewd investment, support is coming in for artists from all corners. Various art galleries across Bangalore have received bulk orders from IBM, Deutsche Bank among others for art pieces for their various offices across the country. “I support young people who are talented but have not been fortunate enough to get the necessary exposure. I buy art for the company as well, and they are placed in all our centres,” Wipro chairman Azim Premji told ET.

Also a keen collector of art is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD of Biocon. Long before she wrote Biocon’s success story, she bought three works from Yusuf Arakkal at a measly price of Rs 1,200, paid in three installments and has been collecting his work ever since!