Here are the artists that artists themselves like to collect

When it comes to becoming a collector, all you need is the love for art. Here are a few artists who collect art while also creating it themselves

In the art world, a collector is someone with an interest in the arts and is willing to shell out big monies. But there is another category of collector: the artists themselves.

Their works sell for several lakhs, but some of the leading names in the industry collect paintings of their fellow or senior artists, and, in some cases, of their students. ETPanache c atches up wit h a few wit h noteworthy collections.

Thota Vaikuntam
“I collect many people’s works. If I find a good drawing by children, I collect those too. I have Mani Da’s [KG Subramanyan] paintings — not the big ones, but a few smaller paintings. [Even though he was my teacher] I bought his paintings. I also have Laxma Goud’s painting. If any of my students do good work, I buy those as well. T Venkanna is doing well. He always brings some artwork whenever he comes to meet me.”

Baiju Parthan


Sakti Burman had gifted one of his paintings to this artist. (Image: BCCL)

“I don’t have that much of a collector mentality, but I have bought a Sakti Burman. Pritish Nandy was a patron of Bengali artists, and all of them would come to meet him. He had met Burman in Paris. I went to see Burman’s show and was enthralled by it. I wasn’t earning much, but wanted to buy a small painting of his. When I told him I cannot afford his works, he gave me a small painting. After that I wanted to buy one or two [other pieces], but the prices were always too high. I couldn’t afford them.”

Paresh Maity


Young artist Maity bought Burman's work. (Image: BCCL)

“I collect whoever’s work I like. For instance, Jogen Chowdhury, MF Husain, SH Raza and Satish Gujral, who I am very close to. Of course, I also have my uncle Sakti Burman’s painting. But I remember getting my first Raza many years ago when I was in Paris. We met at his lovely studio and he was very happy that I wanted to meet him. I told him, ‘I don’t have money, but I want to buy a small painting of yours’. He couldn’t believe that a young artist like me wanted to buy his work. He said, ‘I am so pleased and so happy. I can’t sell you this painting, I would love to gift it to you’. It’s a small, beautiful painting, which I have displayed in my house in Delhi.”


He is one of the most celebrated artists. (Image: BCCL)

Anjolie Ela Menon
“I have a big collection of other painters’ works. I collect younger painters like Nupur Kundu, Ayesha Seth and then I have also got Paresh Maity. Many of my friends and I have a thing where we exchange works sometimes. I have Laxma Goud and Manjit Bawa, who are old friends. Sometimes, I am called to inaugurate an exhibition and then I feel that I have to buy a painting, which is encouraging for young painters. Some like Binoy Varghese and Nayana Kanodia have been my students also and then they became famous, so I do have some of their works.”