If you, like us, have been noticing a sudden proliferation of art spaces across the city, especially in properties owned by the Prestige Group, then you have Uzma Irfan — director, corporate ommunications, Prestige Group and founder, Sublime — to thank. Working largely under the radar, Uzma has singularly been responsible for curating and commissioning art all across the city and beyond and we catch up with her to get to the heart behind this noble passion…
You seem to be on a roll. Gallery after gallery! How did this passion begin?
In my family, my grandmother was an artist, my mom is an artist and my daughter is an artist and I think it skipped me. So, I decided to create a platform for upcoming artists instead. This country has so much talent, which is not tapped into, so I decided I can help with that and that’s how it all began.
But art curation is not a run of the mill passion. How did the idea come to you?
Honestly, everything in my life has been pretty unplanned. It just so happened that I had got back from the UK — where I was studying — and I met a friend of mine who was in the US. She told me that she was into art and I asked her to show me her work when she was in Bengaluru. When I did get to finally see it, it was amazing and my first question was: what are you going to do with this? She said that she painted just for herself and then stored it away in a cupboard. I immediately told her to please take them out of the cupboard and give them to me. I didn’t know what I was going to do with them, but I knew her art deserved a better and a bigger audience. It wasn’t till 2009 when, I was working in UB City when I was offered an empty space for a gallery that I finally showcased her work and you won’t believe it, she sold out immediately! This was also the time I realised that my daughter was fond of painting too. She was three years old. She was sitting outside this art show at the gallery and she was drawing and then I realised that she was an artist too!
And the journey didn’t end there, did it?
Not at all. My father is a visionary. After he saw the success this art show had, he took me to the 8th floor in UB City, to a bridge between the two buildings and said: this is your gallery. He said, this is your space. Obviously, you have to pay rent. I immediately agreed. Now coming to art commissioning. We started with a hotel in Prestige Tech Park. So, my husband comes to me and tells me: why don’t you curate art for this? And that’s how it began. We’ve since curated art and art galleries and commissioned art at and for many of our properties.
Could you lead us through some of these projects?
Right now, one of our recent-most projects was Zarf at the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center. More than just curating the art for the restaurant, we also went ahead and designed some decor and ambient elements like a beautiful wooden jali that you will get to see there. We also worked closely with Mulberry Shades Bengaluru Nandi Hills, A Tribute Portfolio Resort and built into the story of the property. We curated an artwork about a girl, called Shanti, and her story is what becomes the story of the property. We also have a dedicated gallery space aside from the art curated at the JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa; and one of my latest projects is Moxy Bengaluru Airport Prestige Tech Cloud, where we’ve also curated the art and commissioned a beautiful graffiti piece beside the pool at the property.
Are you also working outside Bengaluru now?
Yes, very much. I’m working on two hotels that we are opening in Delhi and we just opened a Sublime Gallery in Hyderabad. The idea behind the Hyderabad gallery is to promote local artists from Hyderabad. We are also curating and commissioning art at the The Artiste, Kochi, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
So, hands full then?
Absolutely, we have shows all the way till July next year. And we also have artists who have reached out to us from Australia, South America and some other brilliant works to come. I’m also planning to bring back Art Bengaluru this year. Art Bengaluru began by promoting galleries in 2011 and then we took a break due to the pandemic. But we are all set to bring it back this year and it will be one of the biggest art events in the city for sure!
Art Bengaluru will begin soon.
romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal