By Mohammed Wajehuddin

A common complaint of art aficionados is: it is costly and beyond the common man's budget. So even if he likes a painting, he may not buy it. The Affordable Art Show, to be held by art dealer Meher Bijlani at Y.B. Chavan Gallery between 6 and 12 October, is an event that true art lovers, even those with very little money, will lap up. Priced between Rs.2,000 to Rs.10,000, the paintings are going to be a real steal.

But the low prices do not mean that the works are of poor quality. Most of the paintings put up for sale are by well known artists such as Lalita Lajmi, Jyoti Puri, Vandana Nanda and Shubha Gokhale.

But how did artists agree to reduce the price of their paintings which in normal conditions they would have never done? Meher says: "I convinced the artists to tag affordable prices to their works. I told them clearly that a lower price didn't mean compromise on quality. It is a result of persuasion."

Persuasion is something the smart dealer has often employed. It works to the benefit of the artists as well as the buyers. If an artis holds a solo exhibition, he has to spend much by the way of booking the gallery, printing brochures, organising publicity. But if he sends his works to an art dealer, it is someone else doing everything for him. Of course, for a nominal commision.

"Artists, especially young ones, need art dealers to promote them. They generally don't have enough infrastructure to hold exhibitions regularly. Moreover, booking in prestigious galleries, say for example, Jehangir Art Gallery, is done one year before the exhibition's opening. It is difficult for fresh talent to get a place there. Here comes the dealer," elaborates Meher.

So has she included the works of young artists in his show? "Yes, I prefer fresh talent to the old, established names. If I like the work of an artist, I even commision it. In this show there are a few works of Jyoti Singh Vishwanath, a young artist from Punjab," she says.

One of the notable entries is portrait of a young girl holding a parrot on her finger tip, by Vandana Nanda. This oil on canvas is priced at Rs.10,000. "Vandana would have priced it at anything above Rs.12,000. But I convinced her to bring it down. And here you have a beautiful painting at an affordable price," Meher says.

Though she has never picked up a brush hereself, she knows a lot about art and its

Oil on canvas by Vandana Nanda

various media. No artist can fool her as she can tell figurative art from abstract. She points out the drawbacks in a painting with the zeal of a critic. "I tell the artist frankly if I have not liked his work. And he does not mind it because he himself knows that his work is not up to standard."

Besides paintings, Meher loves sculputres and artefacts too. Her flat in Colaba houses some of the best works of comptemporary artists. In June 1998, she had held an exhibition called Artquest for CRY (Child Relief and You).

"Its proceedings went to CRY. At this show I felt that many middle class clients cannot afford expensive paintings. This is also one of the reasons why I am holding an affordable art show," she says.

Now the notion that art is for corporate houses is not correct. Any body with interest and some extra money can buy it, of course, courtesy dealers like Meher.

Coming from the famous Murad family (actor Raja Murad is her brother) and married to business consultant Dr. Hiru Bijlani, Meher has dealt in art for over 20 years. "Initially I bought art for my own house. We have works of artists like Hebbar and Micky Patel. The interest grew gradually. Artists know me as I would often see them at galleries and their homes. When my two daughters grew p and took to their own interests, I thought hat it was the best way I could keep myself occupied," she says.

Women By Fatima Ahmed

Meher Bijlani Show

MEHER BIJLANI is organising an exhibition of paintings and sculpture by some well-known artists at the Y.B. Chavan Art Gallery. The show will go on till September 22.

Among the participating artists are Fatima Ahmed, Gopal Adiverekar, Naina Kanodia, Suruchi Chand, Yashwant Shirwadkar and Rekha Rao.