In a significant moment for the Indian art market, AstaGuru is set to present Manifest—an online auction on August 29–30, 2025—featuring masterworks that span nearly a century of modern and contemporary Indian practice. Thoughtfully curated, the sale brings together towering names such as S H Raza, M F Husain, F N Souza, K H Ara, Akbar Padamsee, Manjit Bawa, Sakti Burman, Anjolie Ela Menon, Krishen Khanna and J. Swaminathan, each contributing to a panoramic narrative of India’s visual legacy.
“Manifest is conceived as a dialogue across time. From the bold experimentation of India’s modernists to the innovation of contemporary practitioners, the collection reflects the arc of a century in Indian art,” noted Sunny Chandiramani, Director – Client Relations, AstaGuru. “Every lot is not merely a work of beauty, but a marker of history, inviting collectors to be custodians of narratives that continue to shape generations.”
Highlights from the Sale
- Akbar Padamsee – Untitled (Nude) (Lot 24, Est. ₹3–4 crore): A striking nude in profile, the work embodies vulnerability and introspection, set against a textured backdrop that enhances its emotional intensity.
- F N Souza – Untitled Landscape (1954) (Lot 39, Est. ₹4–6 crore): A brooding architectural depiction, reduced to angular geometric planes, reflecting Souza’s engagement with expressionist distortion and psychological tension.
- Sakti Burman – Durga (Lot 10, Est. ₹1.5–2.5 crore): A dreamlike tableau where Indian mythology merges with Burman’s European-inflected style, reimagining the goddess in a fantastical, poetic idiom.
- M F Husain – Untitled (Abstract) (Lot 27, Est. ₹3–4 crore): An abstract work highlighting Husain’s foray into pure form and colour, marking his departure from figuration.
- Manjit Bawa – Untitled (1989) (Lot 21, Est. ₹2.5–3 crore): A rare early large-scale painting where mythic imagery resonates with raw energy, and Bawa’s distinct stylistic economy is fully evident.
- Anjolie Ela Menon – Untitled (Window motif) (Lot 04, Est. ₹1–1.5 crore): Continuing her exploration of the symbolic and the everyday, Menon’s recurring window motif opens both literal and metaphorical frames of interpretation.
- Krishen Khanna – Bandwallas (Diptych) (Lot 23, Est. ₹2–3 crore): From his celebrated series, this work captures uniformed marriage musicians as faceless archetypes—festive yet burdened—symbolising struggle and resilience.
- J. Swaminathan – Untitled (Lot 30, Est. ₹1.5–2.5 crore): A transcendental vision where tribal symbolism and abstraction meet in primal triangular forms against earthy surfaces.
Guardians of Legacy
The auction underlines AstaGuru’s role in bridging past and present, offering collectors and connoisseurs an opportunity to secure works that are simultaneously culturally resonant and historically significant. By placing modernist pioneers alongside contemporary innovators, Manifest reinforces how Indian art has evolved across generations while retaining its rootedness in memory, myth, and identity.
The sale will be conducted exclusively online at www.astaguru.com, where collectors can preview the full catalogue and register to participate.
With its selection of seminal works that embody the breadth of Indian art’s experimentation and expression, Manifest is poised to be a landmark auction, reaffirming the enduring vitality of India’s artistic heritage.
Cover Image: Krishen Khanna Bandwalas. Courtesy: Astaguru
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