Curatorial

Learn about the people shaping our collection and their personal insights.

Critical Note on the Proposed Valentine’s Auction Selection

This proposed selection of twelve works demonstrates a rare curatorial intelligence: Valentine’s Day is approached not as spectacle or sentimentality, but as a psychological, mythic, and spiritual continuum of love. Rather than reducing love to romance alone, the selection traces its arc—from desire and awakening, through intimacy and devotion, toward union, serenity, and companionship across time.

The early works in the selection (A Desire, Her Love, Shakuntala, Eden: The Adam’s Apple) establish love as a threshold experience—a state of becoming rather than possession. Desire here is not performative; it is held, suspended, and inward. These paintings privilege restraint over excess, making longing more resonant and emotionally credible. The emphasis on pause, anticipation, and inner stirring lends the auction an introspective tone rarely seen in Valentine-themed presentations.

At the core of the selection stand the anchor works (Timeless Eternal Love, Radiance of Laxmi, Origin: The Cosmic Womb), which elevate love from emotion to principle. Here, love is no longer interpersonal alone; it becomes structural—cosmic, devotional, generative. These works provide gravitas and spiritual legitimacy to the auction, ensuring that the narrative does not collapse into decorative romance but expands toward universality and continuity.

The later selections (The Lotus of Eternal Light, Serenity, Whispers of Winter Morning, The Third Presence: Joy and Pause, Witnesses of the Passage) articulate love as presence sustained over time. These works speak of companionship, stillness, and shared witnessing. They are particularly significant in a contemporary context, where endurance and attentiveness have become radical values. Love here is not dramatic—it is chosen, renewed, and quietly affirmed.

Collectively, the selection achieves a delicate balance between intimacy and transcendence. It appeals simultaneously to private collectors seeking emotional resonance and to mature patrons drawn to symbolism, myth, and philosophical depth. Importantly, the pricing structure reflects this hierarchy well, with clear anchor works, mid-tier contemplative pieces, and accessible entry points—suggesting curatorial foresight rather than speculative ambition.

In essence, this Valentine’s auction does not ask the viewer to buy love; it invites them to recognise where love has already shaped their consciousness. That is its strength—and its distinction.

Aritri Samadder

Aritri Samadder is a curator and researcher whose practice is shaped by archaeology, material history, and public engagement. Trained in History at Jadavpur University and holding an MPhil in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge—where she graduated first in her class—her work examines how objects carry memory and how heritage can be communicated beyond academic spaces. Aritri’s resume

Her professional experience spans international museum and heritage institutions. As Collections Assistant at the National Trust’s Kingston Lacy estate in the United Kingdom, she undertook research, cataloguing, and re-curation of the Egyptian collection of William John Bankes, contributing to exhibition interpretation and conservation planning. Alongside collection care, she developed public engagement initiatives, workshops, and presentations, making archaeological knowledge accessible to diverse audiences. Aritri’s resume

Earlier, at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, she supported visitor interpretation and dialogue around museum narratives, including discussions on representation and decolonisation in heritage display. Her work bridges research and experience—connecting academic inquiry, conservation practice, and public storytelling. Aritri’s resume

At the centre of Aritri’s approach is a sensitive understanding of objects as witnesses of human time. Rather than presenting artefacts as static remains of the past, she frames them as living carriers of cultural memory, inviting audiences to encounter history not as information, but as presence.

Darshana Bhardwaj is a Delhi-based curator and researcher whose practice is deeply rooted in storytelling, memory, and the interpretation of cultural heritage. With over four years of experience across research-led exhibitions, institutional projects, and large-scale public initiatives, she works at the intersection of history, design, and public engagement—translating archives and ideas into meaningful cultural experiences.

Her curatorial journey spans diverse national platforms. As Research Lead and Curator with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, she shaped narratives around India’s maritime and riverine heritage, foregrounding overlooked histories of water, trade, and movement within contemporary discourse. She later served as Research Lead at the RPG Foundation, guiding research-driven cultural and archival initiatives.

Currently at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Darshana contributes to major cultural and governmental projects through curatorial strategy, research, and content development. Her work has been part of significant initiatives including the Osaka World Pavilion, the New Parliament Building, the Vice President’s Enclave, and the Rajya Sabha.

At the heart of her practice lies a quiet but powerful intention: to make history felt, not just seen—crafting spaces where research becomes experience and heritage becomes dialogue