Defining Deft Strokes

Preeti Garg, the co-founder of Gallery Veda, Chennai,believes that the prerequisite to run an art gallery is the ability to read into the message depicted by the artist. Be it painting,sculpture, wood work, video installations, photography or murals, she says it’s all about appreciating every little detail, as she takes us around to show her unique collection.

- Kalyani Krishna

Preeti admits that her love for art, especially paintings and sculptures, didn’t develop overnight. In between assisting her husband, Bharat Garg, in his steel business and taking care of son Advait, she, for many years dabbled in art as a charcoal artist. But that definitely helped. “I used to do freehand sketches with charcoal, but deep down I always felt that I should be doing more. After my son grew up, I suddenly had a lot of free time and I started pursuing my passion seriously,” she says.

Getting started

As Preeti takes us back to her past, we learn that her maternal family, the Goenkas, once lived in Burma (now Myanmar) but moved to Chennai during World War II. The family traditionally was into the business of blankets but switched to garment manufacturing and export during the seventies.

“I got married at a very young age,” Preeti continues. “My in-laws are from Kharak Kalan in Haryana, but settled in Chennai. I am blessed to have the wholehearted support of both my parents and in-laws, who have backed me in all my endeavours. When I expressed my desire to work in an art-related field, support poured in from both families. The success of Gallery Veda wouldn’t have been possible without their help, especially my husband.”