PETER NAGY AND APARAJITA JAIN

HELLO! MEETS DELHI’S LEADING GALLERISTS WHO ARE KNOWN FOR DISCOVERING RARE TALENT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND COMES BACK WITH A FEW VITAL LESSONS ON THE CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART SCENE

- SANGHITA SINGH

Peter Nagy, an artist who exhibited in the US and Europe first started Nature Morte as a gallery in America in the early 1980s. Aparajita Jain’s journey in the art world began in Kolkata, growing up in a family of art lovers, but it took a professional turn with her launching Seven Arts in the Capital in 2009. Although, they are decades apart from where their professional milestones began, they joined forces in 2013 when Aparajita joined Nature Morte, merging some of the artists from her talent pool at Seven Arts. Aparajita, a founding member of Harvard University’s South Asia Arts Council, representing Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, and Peter are an established team, known for showcasing quality names in Indian art today. Their age difference notwithstanding, the duo has a symbiotic partnership having showcased at prestigious international platforms – such as Art Basel, FIAC Paris, Art Basel Miami Beach, Paris Photo, Art Dubai, Tokyo Art Fair – and are easily amongst the country’s top gallerists who have earned a reputation for being discerning as well as intuitive. And, when it comes to finding and promoting rare talent from the Indian art fraternity, you could totally trust their instincts.

Both of you come from different worlds, age groups and yet, art brings you together. Is there a common lens with which you view art?

Peter: “We do have similar tastes when it comes to art. We both like strong works, whether they are minimal or maximal. We also respond to the personality of the artists, which easily comes through in their art. We like artists who are sure of what they are doing and stick with it, not those who seem wishy-washy and confused or easily influenced by others.”