Great Art Sold For An Even Greater Cause

Even if the proceeds weren’t going for such a wonderful cause – art education for underprivileged kids – the recent art auction by the Tara Trust would have been equally noteworthy for another reason: the quality of the auctioned works.

But before I get to that, allow me a word about Tara Trust. It’s a Goa-based non-profit NGO started in 2008 that brings art-related activities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, reaching out to 320 kids a week and conducting 15 weekly workshops across Goa. That’s in addition to many other activities and programs reaching hundreds of other young souls.

The auction that took place at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa on Saturday, March 8 was conceptualized with help from sponsors and partners, engaging India’s artist community with the organization’s overall mission.

The founder and Director Dr. Katharina Poggendorf-Kakar, an anthropologist, artist, activist and writer, curated  the show, which was overseen by a board of directors – psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar, psychologist Amrita Narayanan, businessman Vikram Lal, writer Siddharth Dube and philanthropist Shefali Malhoutra.

In the 85 works, 60 artists from Goa were identified by artist Subodh Kerkar and several acclaimed artists from India donated their works, either as a 100% donation or on a 50%-50% share basis.  Mr. Angira Arya, one of India’s best auctioneers, conducted the bidding. The Kala Academy in Panjim provided space for previewing the works from 28th February to 3rd March.

With the motto “Art Heals” in mind, Tara Trust and its supporting philanthropists used the event to create awareness of just that: the healing power of art. Many of the works on auction had not been seen in Goa before.

‘The Creation’ Ketna Patel

Art connoisseurs had a wide choice of mediums and styles, in vibrant and subdued colour pallet in watercolour, oil, acrylic, pen and pencil, charcoal, serigraph, woodcut, etching, screen print,  mix media on canvas,  paper, glass, and wood. The subjects cover variations of life between reality and abstraction with motion, momentum and lyrical combinations.

Among the offerings were works by the ‘Maestros’ F N Souza, Akbar Padamsee and M F Husain. There was tempera on cardboard by Jamini Roy and serigraphs by Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Syed Haider Raza and  Husain. There was a still life by Krishnaji Howlaji Ara.

Each artist offered 2-3 works, in different price ranges. The themes covered a wide gamut, from the paradoxes of urban and traditional buildings of Goa to mythology to the mixing of contemporary cultures.  Linear brush strokes, minute detailing, still life, landscapes and abstracts shared space with a bronze sculpture by  K S Radhakrishnan, a work by Subodh Kerkar using fibre glass and rubber  tyres,  and the iron and paint of Katharina Kakar.

‘Maiya on the Bend’ K.S Radhakrishnan

Artists fetching a base price ranging from Rs 10,000  – Rs 2,80,000 were Akbar Padamsee, Alka Kalra, Andrew Logan, Amit Lodh, Archana Mishra, Ayesha Seth, Balu Sadalge, Chailati Morajkar, Francis Desouza, Harshada Kerkar, Jagesh Edakkad, Janet Pierce, Jamini Roy,  Krishen Khanna,  Katherina Karkar, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara, Ketna Patel, Kalidas Mhamal, Kunal Naik, Kanika Shah, Kedar Dhondu, K S Radhakrishnan, Kuruchi Das Gupta, Loretti Pinto,  M F Husain, Mohan Naik,  Megha Joshi, Mukta Wadhwa, Nandalal Bose, Nirali Lal, Pradeep Naik, Praveen Naik, Rahul Chauhan, Raj More, Raj Bhandare, Rajesh Salgaonkar, , Ramdas Gadekar, Ram Kumar, Ritu Kamath, Rosy Da Silva, Reena Roy, Syed  Haider Raza, Subodh Kerkar, SachinNaik, Santosh Morajkar, S C Ahuja, Seby Akkara, Seema Kohli, Sweety Joshi, Shilpa Nasnolkar, Siddharth Goswami, Sailoz Mookherjea, Subrata Ghosh, Suhas Shilker, T.Vaikuntum, Tathi Premchand, Vijay Bhandare, Vitesh Naik, Vishakha Apte.

Artists with a base price from Rs.3,00,000 to Rs 18,00,000 were  M  F Husain, F N Souza, Akbar Padamsee and Syed Haider Raza. Project Director Juhi Pandey  was pleased that the event extended a platform to younger artists who could exhibit alongside celebrated names.

Katherina Kakar said,’ I started this NGO as I want to give back to Goa the joy it has given me living here for several years. The team has put in a lot of work.  It’s a huge effort to constantly raise money and I hope this auction will give us the incentive to make it into an annual event, and more artists will work with us.

‘Goddess Preparing for War’ Katharina Kakar

“Art is a tool to motivate children to enable them to establish their individuality and self-esteem. We have a team that goes out every day engaging children in varying tasks such as painting, handicraft, theatre, sports, creating an environment for their future progress, and we cannot do this without sponsorship.”

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Tara Trust is located at House No 536, Pulwaddo Pequeno, Benaulim, Salcete. For more information or to donate, call +91 8322770233 or

log onto www.taratrustindia.com