Uptrend

An artist, an ex-sportsperson and a lot more than that, Madhuri Bhaduri has several hues to her charisma. And that certainly depicts in her artwork. While in conversation with Corporate Citizen, Madhuri, openly talks about the confluence of art and the corporate world, her journey so far and much more. Read on!

(L-R) Meher Pudumjee
(Chairperson of Thermax Limited), Madhuri Bhaduri,
Dr Surud Sardesai and Padma Shree Anu Aga
during the exhibition of her artwork

Corporate Citizen: Give our readers a brief background of yourself...

I was fortunate enough to be born in a family which is very supportive. Seeing my father and uncle play sports at the national level, motivated me to take up badminton at a young age. My mother was a classical singer on AIR for many years. And quite frankly, what I am today is not only because of my hard work but also because of the qualities that I have inherited from my parents and most importantly, the virtue of discipline that they inculcated in me, moulded me into a person I’m today.

At the age of nine, I started playing competitive badminton. Soon I got the chance to play Nationals. Back then, there was no such category called as Juniors. We had to compete with the kids of all ages. That’s where the spirit of sportspersonship was built in me.

Art, which simply runs in my blood, was something that I was good at since the beginning. But due to my commitment to sports, I couldn’t join an arts college. After competing in several competitions and completing my graduation, I decided to go back to my first love art. Meanwhile, I had pursued a diploma in French at Alliance Francaise de, Pune, for three years and went to on to pursue formal training in Masters of Art and Painting from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai in 1988. I got married in 1989 and soon moved to Mumbai. That broadened my horizons as it exposed me into the metro world of art. I spent the next 10 years in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi.

When my journey as an artist began, I was blessed enough to come across Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur who introduced me to Jamshed Bhabha of the Tata’s. Their gesture of buying my work instilled confidence in me. That’s when I began my journey in the art the world. From my first show in Pune in 1986 to my latest exhibition, I’ve grown leaps and bounds. I’m fortunate enough to say that it has been an amazing journey so far.

CC: The Art market growth and higher valuation means more demand and more wealth is being allocated to art as part of a holistic investment and wealth management strategy. Do you agree?

The art market is growing all over the world. As it starts from the grassroots, there is awareness and everybody is participating. Regardless the age, art is growing leaps and bounds. Art is also about sensitising and it starts with an emotional connect. The more people get involved, the more it will get attention. International auctions are a great platform for local artists. Such things promote art and encourage artists to be a part of the society or else everything will be robotic. When it comes to art there are many entities involved in it which makes its estimation reach the sky. Over the years, there are several corporates who are showing keen interest in art – especially paintings, there are museums all over the world which are providing a great platform to artists to showcase their art and the international and national auctions are a tremendous confidence booster.

CC: How according to you can paintings or artworks add value to the business environment?

Art not only adds beauty to our surrounding but it also gives us an impetus to think out of the box. It helps the person to go on a voyage wherein they can not only find inner peace but the path on which they walk on gives them the courage to perform better in their career. Art is about creating unique ideas and the business world runs on the basis on the exclusiveness of their thought process. In the corporate world or rather in life, there are several ups and downs. And according to me, art encourages a person to be calm in the face of adversity. The art that these tycoons and corporate stalwarts buy not only enhances their work environment but it also exudes the much-needed warmth and harmony to survive in this corporate world.

CC: What are the current trends at the intersection of art and investment?

Art is an investment in most of the developed nation and that’s where it gets it due status. When you say investment, it also means does that particular artwork have any appreciation value. For instance, if the artwork is brought today, will it have an appreciation in monetary terms a few years down the line. The value of art ages like wine, the older the art, the more it attracts the crowd, further increasing its appreciation in every sense. However, the first thing that pops in one’s mind while thinking about art as an investment is if it is tradeable or something you can encash on. And for that, you need strong auction houses which would understand the art’s real worth. In general, art has several aspects in terms of investment.

“At the age of nine, I started playing competitive badminton. Soon I got the chance to play Nationals. Back then, there was no such category called as Juniors. We had to compete with the kids of all ages”

Madhuri Bhaduri (centre) with Mruga and
Dhaval Kirloskar during the exhibition of her artwork

CC: Does art act as a pathway to explore non-art topics such as leadership, change, and innovation in business?

I feel that art always needs involvement from the industrialist, tycoons and corporates. And in turn, both these entities will grow exponentially. Art needs patronage because art by itself doesn’t create wealth. It is sensitising the society. And to create art that appeals to all, you need artists. And if these two intuitions have a close bond, then the world will surely become a better place than what it’s today. That’s where art-based learning, empathising, involving and helping comes into the picture. And the tycoons and leaders play a huge role in this. When art becomes a part of us, the world just transforms into something beautiful.

I strongly believe that art acts as a pathway to explore non-art topics such as leadership, change, and innovation in business. That’s because it changes your path of thinking, it makes you more sensitised, in turn, making you empathic. Everyone needs a stressbuster. Especially, when it comes to the corporate world where stress is taking a toll on all. It is important to have a respite from the stress. And trust me, nothing better than art can heal your soul. It makes life worth living!

CC: Your paintings have been appreciated and purchased by well-known tycoons. What does one look for while buying a painting?

Only a person who is moved by the artwork buys it. Art is something that appeals to the person’s senses. And every tycoon or a corporate stalwart goes through the same process before buying the art. They are someone who cannot be forced to buy a certain artwork. The work has to strike the right chord with the entrepreneur for them to purchase it. All through my journey, people have brought my artwork because it has touched their heart. And of course, some corporates invest in artwork as the per their dealer’s advice. There are different avenues where a corporate or a tycoon decides to buy art.

CC: Could you talk about the relationship between the business world and paintings (art at large)? How has this relationship evolved?

The relationship between art and the business world is slowly getting to a place where it should have been. I remember in the early 60s and 70s, there weren’t a lot of galleries in India. There were fewer artists and the prices were negligible. Back then, nobody thought that they would make a living out of art. But artists continued to paint. Slowly and steadily, the monetary aspect of art came into the picture, to an extent where the value of an artist decides to what level the artists has successfully reached an audience. And now, art is growing at a very faster rate.

CC: What inspires you to paint?

After spending four decades in this field and after spending countless hours painting on the canvas, I feel that it has become a part of me. I have always been passionate about art. For me, anything related to art – colours, canvas, texture, etc. inspires me to do better and provides with a medium to express myself.