Artist, connoisseur Sara Abraham, who took art to the people, dies

In the India of the 1970s, when patronage for art was rather limited, as were its promoters, artist and art connoisseur Sara Abraham aspired to take it to greater heights by reaching out to the people through the ‘Kala Yatra’ — a “travelling art gallery” that took the form of exhibitions in different cities.

Abraham was a visionary who had the foresight to draw people to art and educate them on the different ways of viewing and appreciating it. She died in Chennai on Sunday.

“Her impact on the art world will be felt for years to come, as her legacy lives on through the artists she championed and the galleries she helped establish. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but her spirit and dedication to the arts will continue to inspire future generations of artists and art lovers,” said Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Chairperson Murali Cheeroth.

Showing keen interest in drawing as a child, the Kerala-born artist’s zeal towards the pursuit was initially honed at the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Madras, and under stalwarts such as D P Roy Choudhury and KCS Paniker.

During her initial years as an artist, she is known to have dabbled in portraits. Based in Mumbai following her marriage, she found herself in the midst of a still nascent art market where artists were finding their feet.

Soon, she began collecting art. It was reportedly a discussion with M F Husain that also led to the birth of her travelling art initiative that went to several cities across India, including Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata. Her own collection included, among others, works by Bikash Bhattacharjee, K G Subramanyan, A Ramachandran and Husain.

“She was unique in her ability to amalgamate both the beauty and the business of art. She had the eye of a connoisseur, the mind of a collector and the heart of an artist,” said artist Manisha Gera Baswani. She recalled how, over the years, Abraham had always been the first to wish on her birthday. “I will miss the 6.30 am ‘happy birthday’ call from Sara aunty,” she said.

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