hello & 20 questions follow :-)‏

Hi Abhay,
I've seen your name pop up a few times when I've checked out recent happenings on the Indian art scene & have subsequently seen your blog. I hope you don't mind my writing to you & soliciting your opinion:-). From what you've written about yourself in your blog, it appears that you have no formal education in Art (i.e. you're not an Art History major) - you mention an MBA & then being at Microsoft. What I am curious about is how you've managed to integrate your MBA & (presumably) techie background into becoming an art collector.

I am unable to tell from your blog whether you have switched tracks & are now pursuing your passion for Art as a career or whether you dabble in it while still maintaining a "regular" job. If it is the former, I am very interested indeed in learning how you have managed to accomplish this. I plan to apply to B-school for Fall 2009, & would like to know what sort of career possibilities someone with a business background & a very very keen interest in art can look forward to. Hope to hear back from you. Thanks Utpala

Dear Utpala,

Yes it is accurate what is written about my background on the blog. My own view is that more than formal education it is intuition and knowledge that is mandatory - both are prerequisite to a fuller understanding of art. It is just as necessary to know what came before in order to fully appreciate what we see today and that knowledge can come from an academic degree or it can come by immersing oneself in the pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge that is acquired over decades - by visiting major museums around the world and by spending the same unhurried time in the renaissance sections as one would devote to the modern and contemporary art departments. By reading incessantly and interacting with artists, critics and curators.

I have been a long time collector and patron of art but decided in 2004 after four successful years (in a non techie job) at MS that I wanted to convert my passion into a profession so I left Seattle for Mumbai and since then art has been my singular and full time occupation. I curate shows in an art space in Colaba. More details on www.gallerymaskara.com

At the end of the day it is not about degrees - an MBA or MFA is merely a means to an end rather then an end in itself. You need to figure out what is most important to you and what exactly you are after? What in art interests you? What role you see yourself playing? I think the possibilities are endless but you need to be clear about your motivations and the rest will follow…

Best of luck
Abhay