ONE FRAME AT A TIME

Mumbai's oldest contemporary art gallery is standing strong at 60

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

Few galleries in Mumbai can boast of a history as rich as that of Chemould. What started as a chance encounter birthed the city's first ever art gallery in 1963. Now in its 60th year, Chemould Prescott Road has only grown by leaps and bounds since its inception, ever-changing, much like the city it was born in.

The story began in the 1940s, when Kekoo Gandhy started a venture called Chemical Moulding Manufacturing Company, which was then shortened to Chemould over time. Initially a purveyor of frames, their salon-like space housed artists like MF Husain, SH Raza, and FN Souza. Eventually, though, they came up with the idea of creating a standalone art gallery and thus, Chemould Gallery opened its doors to patrons on the first floor of the Jehangir Art Gallery in 1963.