Sapna Kar & Rajneeta Kewalramani: Passionate Curators With A Keen Understanding Of Indian Contemporary Art
Sapna Kar
Co-Founder
Despite hailing from entirely different cultures, it was the duo’s (Sapna & Ranjeeta) true blue love for arts that developed over time and brought them together to venture on this magnanimous journey of artworks management where Sapna is just shy of two decades in her association with the Indian art, mainly doing large format charity art auctions & exhibitions for some noteworthy clients like Jehangir Art Gallery(Diamond Jubilee auction), the art book for Mr. Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday, auctions for NGOs like Khushii, CRY, Breakthrough and so on Rajneeta has been an avid art collector for the last several years, and passionate museum visitor on her international sojourns. Else her prior experiences swing far wide across diverse industries like fashion, sports, and event management, followed by volunteering for Jaivakeel(a renowned NGO) for social good.
Kindly get to know more about the duos’ experience with the arts through an exclusive interview between the Co-Founders and the CEO Insights magazine.
What inspired you to establish the curators. art and what do you wish for it to achieve?
Rajneeta: It was entirely a flow, led by my love for art and having known Sapna for several years. I thought between us, we had the varied skill sets required to make a business out of our joint passion for Indian art. At thecurators.art, we offer a carefully curated selection of works, and will only offer our clients artworks that we would be proud to possess personally.
Sapna: There’re a lot of synergies in the aesthetic sensibility that we two equally share, but primarily it’s intertwined with our admiration for the arts, stringing our vision for young collectors (insignificant of age, rather collection) to build a
collection that they grow and enjoy time. We also believe in the potential of many artists, who do not have the access or platform to showcase their talent. So, we essentially incepted thecurators.art to act as a catalyst between collectors & artists, and help them establish a permanent connection with the artwork they acquire.
Also, while ours is primarily an online gallery, we also do physical shows on a pan-India basis and thus you could call us a hybrid model. Our buyers presently are Indians and people of Indian origin across the globe. The pandemic has given a boost to online buying and it’s interesting for us to witness this global change in peoples mindsets, which is a positive for the growth and consumption of Indian art, world over.
What is it that keeps you constantly motivated at work and how do you ensure the quality and authenticity of artworks at your online gallery?
Sapna: Authenticity, credibility and integrity are the three words that literally signify us and are our basic mantras too. There’s no intermediary acting for our sourcing. All our art works(over 90 percent) are personally sourced by us from the artist studios directly. In the few cases of secondary sales, we verify the work and provenance in great detail also these secondary sources are people we have known for years. So, authenticity is of no question at thecurators.art.
Rajneeta: Yes, we are directly in dialogue with the artists, and we give an original artist certification with all our works, in addition to the gallery invoice. We physically examine each work personally, pre dispatch to our clients’ homes.
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them?
Rajneeta: There are quite a few. It’s not been an easy ride all along, be it something as simple as setting-up the website, bridging the online offline gap for clients, dealing with banks when you take a physical show overseas there are challenges with the paperwork, and many more. However, each of them is a huge learning experience.
I remember the first time we took our show to Singapore, we felt we doing an on the ground MBA in international sales. It was mammoth task to deal with custom duties, FEMA regulations, insurance policies.
GR waivers and many things that we had never heard of before, thankfully we were able to successfully execute an 80+ work show in Singapore and overcame all the trials & tribulations in the process.
Sapna: Yes, I agree. Convincingly, digital has made it quite easy to sell,
Also, while ours is primarily an online gallery, we also do physical shows on a pan-India basis and thus you could call us a hybrid model. Our buyers presently are Indians and people of Indian origin across the globe. The pandemic has given a boost to online buying and it’s interesting for us to witness this global change in peoples mindsets, which is a positive for the growth and consumption of Indian art, world over.
The pandemic has given a boost to online buying, and it’s interesting for us to witness this global change in people’s mindsets, which is a positive for the growth and consumption of Indian art, worldover
What is it that keeps you constantly motivated at work and how do you ensure the quality and authenticity of artworks at your online gallery?
Sapna: Authenticity, credibility and integrity are the three words that literally signify us and are our basic mantras too. There’s no intermediary acting for our sourcing. All our art works(over 90 percent) are personally sourced by us from the artist studios directly. In the few cases of secondary sales, we verify the work and provenance in great detail also these secondary sources are people we have known for years. So, authenticity is of no question at thecurators.art.
Rajneeta: Yes, we are directly in dialogue with the artists, and we give an original artist certification with all our works, in addition to the gallery invoice. We physically examine each work personally, pre dispatch to our clients’ homes.
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them?
Rajneeta: There are quite a few. It’s not been an easy ride all along, be it something as simple as setting-up the website, bridging the online offline gap for clients, dealing with banks when you take a physical show overseas there are challenges with the paperwork, and many more. However, each of them is a huge learning experience.
I remember the first time we took our show to Singapore, we felt we doing an on the ground MBA in international sales. It was mammoth task to deal with custom duties, FEMA regulations, insurance policies.
GR waivers and many things that we had never heard of before, thankfully we were able to successfully execute an 80+ work show in Singapore and overcame all the trials & tribulations in the process.
Sapna: Yes, I agree. Convincingly, digital has made it quite easy to sell,
but drawing in the segment of customers who want the physical feel of the artwork over the digital display is always a challenge one deals with this on a daily basis and grows with the experience. Also, the insurance laws for art in India are very subjective, similarly clients want to spend on art but want to cut corners on packing and transit. Having said that every new business has inherent challenges but each of these make us stronger and better in our commitment to our clients.
Relay your views on the impact a piece of art should impart to the customers thinking of acquiring it?
Sapna: I believe, prima facie the work you are considering acquiring should be able to provide you happiness every time you glance at it. There are other benefits of having art around you, it enriches your living space, the value appreciates over time, but these are addon benefits. I would never advise someone to buy a work just based on value, it has to connect to you at a sublimal level.
Rajneeta: Very true! For some, the value appreciation expected on buying of a piece can be a huge motivator, but personally, I believe the art in your house is a reflection of your individuality. I think no one should lose that part because growth & appreciation is just a by product of the process, not the mainstream. Your tastes may evolve with time and sometimes your art reflects that too. Personally, my tastes have changed over the years, but every work I possess, still has a personal connection with me and my home.
What are the changes in market behaviour that you anticipate and conclusively what are the opportunities that you foresee?
Sapna: I think Indian art is definitely at an inflection point where there’s a huge growth trajectory. If you look at the global pricing trends, I think we are still under priced given the talent of our masters. But, given the huge consumption of Indian art, especially amongst people of Indian origin from across the world this is going to change for the better! Also, with the burgeoning ‘aspirational’ class, more and more young people are realizing the value art brings to a home, and including it as a part of doing up their new homes from word go this will increase the overall market size.
Rajneeta: In case of market opportunities, I believe the growth is euphoric .Today, the buying capacity and aesthetic sensibility of people in Tier-II cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad is absolutely at par with mega polises like Mumbai and Delhi, but they don't get many shows. We are curating large physical shows especially for these cities with their homes & tastes in mind. This is bringing us a very positive response.
Sapna Kar & Rajneeta Kewalramani, Co-Founders, thecurators.art
Possessing a cumulative experience of over two decades in art sales commissioning, fairs and exhibitions in India & overseas, Sapna and Rajneeta are friends turned co-founders, who deliver a carefully curated selection of artworks with the convenience of the internet but combined with a personal, humane touch, under the brand name of thecurators.art Credibility is their biggest asset, and they would like to treat their clients and artists as partners in this beautiful journey of Indian Art
Relay your views on the impact a piece of art should impart to the customers thinking of acquiring it?
Sapna: I believe, prima facie the work you are considering acquiring should be able to provide you happiness every time you glance at it. There are other benefits of having art around you, it enriches your living space, the value appreciates over time, but these are addon benefits. I would never advise someone to buy a work just based on value, it has to connect to you at a sublimal level.
Rajneeta: Very true! For some, the value appreciation expected on buying of a piece can be a huge motivator, but personally, I believe the art in your house is a reflection of your individuality. I think no one should lose that part because growth & appreciation is just a by product of the process, not the mainstream. Your tastes may evolve with time and sometimes your art reflects that too. Personally, my tastes have changed over the years, but every work I possess, still has a personal connection with me and my home.
What are the changes in market behaviour that you anticipate and conclusively what are the opportunities that you foresee?
Sapna: I think Indian art is definitely at an inflection point where there’s a huge growth trajectory. If you look at the global pricing trends, I think we are still under priced given the talent of our masters. But, given the huge consumption of Indian art, especially amongst people of Indian origin from across the world this is going to change for the better! Also, with the burgeoning ‘aspirational’ class, more and more young people are realizing the value art brings to a home, and including it as a part of doing up their new homes from word go this will increase the overall market size.
Rajneeta: In case of market opportunities, I believe the growth is euphoric .Today, the buying capacity and aesthetic sensibility of people in Tier-II cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad is absolutely at par with mega polises like Mumbai and Delhi, but they don't get many shows. We are curating large physical shows especially for these cities with their homes & tastes in mind. This is bringing us a very positive response.
Sapna Kar & Rajneeta Kewalramani, Co-Founders, thecurators.art
Possessing a cumulative experience of over two decades in art sales commissioning, fairs and exhibitions in India & overseas, Sapna and Rajneeta are friends turned co-founders, who deliver a carefully curated selection of artworks with the convenience of the internet but combined with a personal, humane touch, under the brand name of thecurators.art Credibility is their biggest asset, and they would like to treat their clients and artists as partners in this beautiful journey of Indian Art