Raveena Tandon, Shaan, Mandira Bedi, Sona Mohapatra talk about wall art

Four Mumbai celebs talk about who adorns their walls and why that's important to them

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time". These words by Thomas Merton, a Catalan Trappist monk of American nationality, who was also known for his writings and social activism, will resonate with anyone who has experienced good art. They will also say that the art we surround ourselves with, often affects our mood and reflects our personality.

Which is why perhaps it's no surprise that singer Sona Mohapatra's Santacruz home is lined with folk art. "I collect contemporary Indian artists and a lot of folk Indian art. I think our folk arts are terribly undervalued and taken for granted, and yet they create work of startling beauty, complexity, intricacy and insight," she says. As she poses next to one of her favourite pieces, The Red Haired Lady by Asit Kumar Patnaik, who is from Odisha, one which also resonates deeply with her alter ego, LalPariMastani, she tells us about the first piece she bought.

"My first was a monochrome Gondh art, a classic Tree of Life that has been a friend and companion at home for over 12 years. I cannot have my first cup of tea without looking atthis vision of balance and tranquillity. At this very same time, I bought a Patachitra from Raghurajpur in Odisha during my travels. So I was broke for a while after that. Art is all around us in India, especially once you get out of the cities," says the singer, whose music is a constant reminder of Indian folk music's vitality and vigour. She wants to encourage people to add art to their house with a personal connect. "Art makes a house a home. It gives character and a unique aura to a home. The price tag is irrelevant, the emotion is what matters."

'My favourites give me a feeling of peace'
Raveena Tandon

The brick-finish wall of actor Raveena Tandon's Bandra home reveal a bent towards Indian artists, including traditional art. On one side is the Dashaavataar of Vishnu in traditional Tanjore style, while works by Thota Vaikuntam line the other. Born in 1942 in Boorugupali, Andhra Pradesh, Vaikuntam it is said "finds his inspiration in the rural areas of the state. Men and women of his village are often the central characters of his work".

Raveena Tandon at her Bandra home's living room

Tandon bought her first pieces of art in 1990 — a Ganesha from Bengali artist Shuvaprasanna, and as she says, "This is so symbolic that my start of buying the classics started with a Ganesha."

She also bought a series of musical Brahmins by Paresh Maity. Tandon, who is also an avid collector of artists like Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharjee, Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman and Ramesh Gurajala, feels that art should never be disturbing. "Art is a very personal choice. The kind of art I collect is what pleases my eye and gives me a feeling of peace," says the actress, who mostly collects the masters. "It's not just because they are classics that I like them. But because it's almost meditative when I look at them."

'Our art represents us as people'
Shaan and Radhika Mukherjee

Shaan and Radhika Mukherjee

I would call ourselves local art collectors because Radhika and I pick up a lot of local art when we travel. For us, art need not be just a painting but any creation that has been made — be it on ceramic, wood or canvas," says singer Shaan, who then tells us that it was his wife Radhika, who started the trend when she started getting home art from every place they travelled to.

"Our home is actually like a art gallery showcasing our travels and the fun times that were had," he laughs, and adds that since when they bought their home, they didn't have a interior designer, they decided to build a home based on their memories. "Be it a part of a wine barrel that has the beautiful painted streets of Santorini or the ceramic plates from Tallin — our home represents us as people, wandering yet deeply rooted."

'It should please the eye'
Mandira Bedi

Actor Mandira Bedi's Bandra house is warm and welcoming. The red abstract painting on the wall is offset by striped cushions and a brown couch. "I don't even know who this painting is by. I picked it up from a gallery in Delhi's Lado Serai area, because I love colour. I feel art should be all about pleasing the eye. I once had a painting by a very famous painter, but it was very morose. And a friend told me, that the energy of the painting just didn't seem right, and I should remove it. I had paid a lot for it, but I got what she meant." The fitness icon loves abstracts, and isn't a fan of the defined shape.

That explains the peppering of abstracts around her living room — one bought by her mother from Bali and another gifted by her uncle. "I get called to inaugurate so many art openings, and my favourite from those has been Mumbai artist Umakant Tawde, who specialises in painting Buddhas. I have two of his pieces and they are so tranquil and peaceful. So many people get the Buddha wrong, you know. But these ones, are just right."

Others on the art bandwagon
An interest in collecting art is no longer the hobby of businesswomen like Tina Ambani, who loves FN Souza and SH Raza, or Parmeshwar Godrej, an MF Husain fan. Sonam Kapoor, who has been sighted frequently at art shows, and Dia Mirza, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, are both ardent collectors.

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