Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

The thrill of finding an art piece that resonates with you and acquiring it can be very fulfilling. But while breaking into the art collecting world can seem daunting, all you need is a little guidance. Renowned art enthusiast and collector Tejshree Savara says that she started her art appreciation journey very young. “With passionate Art Collectors for parents, I was exposed to the art world at a very young age. Our family holidays typically revolved around culturally stimulating experiences in international museums and galleries, and I do credit these experiences for my sustained interest in art, over the years,” she says, “Growing up, I was surrounded by Works of Arts at our home ’Rajashraya’, dedicated to my late grandfather, Raj Kumar Savara. So many people have asked me over the years (and continue to do so) if it is strange to live in a home that is a Collections Museum, surrounded by so many intimidating works of art. But for me, these works are not separate from my own being, they are a part of it. When surrounded by something with great ferocity and intensity, it is inevitable to fall in love with it.”

Savara, along with the co-founder of design and communication agency Beam & Words Arjun Guleria, founded The Art Appreciation Society (TAAS) in 2019 to simplify the understanding of fine art in the country. “Since its inception, we have organised curated walkthroughs of prominent art exhibitions, hosted expert and artist-led workshops, and shared art-related news on our social media platforms,” she explains, “The intent behind all our activities is to not only break the barriers of intimidation that often emerge around works of art, in fact, the Arts in general but to also allow individuals who participate in these activities, the opportunity to make their preliminary forays in understanding what art is, paving the way hopefully, for some of them to pursue this wonderful journey.”

But does one need a formal education in the arts in order to become a proper collector? Not entirely, according to Savara. “Read voraciously on art, including framing, storage and restoration!” she says, “Train the eye by visiting as many museums.”

The key to becoming a good art collector doesn’t lie in acquiring art left, right, and center. The art you own has to evoke some emotion in you for it to be of value, according to Savara as she lists some of the things that people get wrong about art collecting, “When individuals collecting is driven by vanity issues and not by an interest in the serious scholarship of art collection and appreciation.”

She echoes her father Rajiv Savara’s sage words on this, “You can have five paintings. But they should bring tears to your eyes with their beauty.”

The lawyer finds the power and reach of social media to be a great tool for both artists and art collectors to connect. “Artists can certainly use it as a platform to share their works & for networking. Also, there are multiple festivals, fairs, and biennales that are now being organised/hosted in India—all being great opportunities for the various players in the art world to connect!”

So if you’re a budding art collector, heed Savara’s words and go visit your local art galleries to start your art journey!

RPSG Group and HELLO! India are delighted to announce the first-ever HELLO! India Art Awards on April 25 in New Delhi. The awards will felicitate and appreciate the works of established artists, upcoming talent, new media, individual and group exhibitions, galleries that curate and showcase excellent artwork, various mediums of expression, and every domain of artistic excellence there is in India today.

Stay tuned and keep following @hellomagindia for more behind-the-scenes action, exclusive interviews, and much more!