~ The festival was inaugurated by honorable Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, who also unveiled ‘The Art of India Fest 2022 catalogue ~

~ Celebrating grand artists from yesteryears as well as modern-day maestros, the week-long art exposition will showcase the work of more than 220 painters, muralists, visual communication artists, and sculptors ~

~ The paintings with the highest base price at the auction include the works of Rabindranath Tagore, F N Souza amongst others~

Curated to celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of Indian Art, ‘The Art of India 2022’ festival by the Times of India was inaugurated by honorable Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel on April 11^th. Posited as the country’s largest art showcase, this initiative of the Times of India will be open for the public at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad from 11^th – 15^th April, 2022.

Taking forward the benchmark set in its inaugural edition, the festival will showcase the country, in its 75th year, in unequaled cultural finery. Furthermore, The Art of India 2022 festival will present India’s Art Story in a panorama encompassing generations by recognizing grandees of the field, as well as upcoming artists. It will be a congregation of marvelous creations of more than 220 artist, muralists, visual communication artists, and sculptors. Spread over 75000 sq feet, the exhibition will showcase the first generation of progressives, the second generation of modernists, and today’s shapers of movements. These include stalwarts and maestros such as Rabindranath Tagore, MF Husain, Nandalal Bose, MV Dhurandar, F N Souza, Krishen Khanna, Sakti Burman, Jyoti Bhatt, Himmat Shah, Sujata Bajaj, Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman and many more.

The event began with Meera Warrier welcoming the gathering with a brief introduction to The Art of India 2022 festival and also shed light on the efforts and commitment of every entity involved in making the festival a possibility. Following the welcome address, Vikas Singh – Executive Editor – News, The Times of India spoke about how Times of India as a publication has been at the forefront and exhaustively & insightfully captured the evolution of Indian art and artists. This was followed by the honorable Chief Minister unveiling The Art of India Fest 2022 catalogue and inaugurating the festival. The event witnessed dignitaries such as Priya Adhyaru-Majithia – Curator, The Art of India Fest 2022 along with renowned artists Amit Ambalal, Jaishree Burman Manu Parekh, Paresh Maity, Jatin Das, Rajeev Sethi, grace the occasion.

Sharing his thoughts while inaugurating The Art of India 2022’ festival, the honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel said, “Today present at the inaugural ceremony of  ‘The Art of India festival’ are my fellow colleagues Education Minister Shri Jitubhai Vaghani, Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education –  Kuberbhai Dindor, Gandhinagar Mayor – Hitesh Makwana, Vikas Singh – Executive Editor – News, The Times of India, Curator – Priya Adhyaru Majithia, key people such as Pankaj Kumar, Rajeev Kumar Gupta, other dignitaries from TOI Group, artists, art lovers, and viewers. Bringing India’s esteemed artists and their works together under one unique platform at this beautiful initiative by the Times of India group is immensely credible. Congratulations to the group on this initiative. When India was gripped with Covid-19 pandemic, these talented artists were doing their work and today 400 plus artworks by these artists are showcased here. In the 75^th year of Indian Independence, The Art of India festival presents our country’s art notables whose works are inspired by India itself. It is one of the largest platforms of its kind. The show has works by more than 250 artists including the top names of the country. Some of them came together to work specifically for today’s event. Noted Art Collectors, Top Sculptors, and Prominent Galleries from across the country are participating and presenting the masterworks today. Our PM Narendra Bhai Modi is constantly working to bring together all the Indian Artworks from across the world back to India and these artworks depict our rich culture and heritage. It is state government’s duty along with various organizations to preserve our rich heritage and culture.”

Sivakumar Sundaram (CEC) Chairman of the Executive Committee of BCCL says, ‘We are thrilled to bring the “The Art of India 2022’ festival. It’s a congregation of diverse cultural influences exploring varied art forms, styles, and practices. Our stellar line-up of stalwarts will unveil timeless generational art forms through in-depth conversations and experiential exhibitions. We thank the Chief Minister of Gujarat – Shri Bhupendra Rajnikanth Patel for his support and for kickstarting the festival for everyone. We intend to connect with the art lovers across the globe through this initiative and bring them closer to our rich heritage.”

Kaustuv Chatterjee, Brand Director, TOI & Languages said, “We recognize the expanding art-scape in India and want to be at the forefront of bringing iconic and emerging artworks to the attention of growing audiences. The Art of India (AOI) 2022 festival presents an opportunity to celebrate the best in Indian Art by diving deep into its unique world of artistic expressions. Under this initiative, a week-long art exposition will showcase the work of more than 220 top Indian artists, inspired by the many themes of our country in the last 75 years of Independence. Thereafter, the AOI platform will connect connoisseurs and art lovers across India with this body of work, culminating in a digital auction on the 18th & 19th of May, 2022. I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for this year’s fabulous curation, thanks to all the Artists, partner art galleries, independent collectors, our festival curator, and the government authorities for supporting this initiative and helping Indian Art get the attention it deserves.”

Talking about the curatorial vision for the art festival, Priya Adhyaru-Majithia, Curator, The Art of India Fest 2022 said, “In India, art is more than luxury. It is a celebration that empowers our country and its people. It is evolving, spreading its wings, and well on its way to achieve new heights. Making Indian art flourish and all the more popular, we look to celebrate the many diverse influences, styles, forms, practices, and traditions seen in the remarkable artwork made by legends. Now is the time where we must encourage art connoisseurs as well as today’s generation to come and interact with the arts and expose themselves to this cultural and artistic diversity as much as possible.”