At the Art of the Matter

It was the late artist MF Husain who urged her to get more involved with the art world. More than 25 years later, Renu Modi’s Gallery Espace is considered one of India’s most prominent creative spaces. The gallery owner recounts the challenges and triumphs along the way.

- Sneha Mahale

RENU MODI CALLS THE OPENING of her gallery “a fluke”. The year was 1986. Celebrated artist M F Husain had just done up the home she and her husband, well known industrialist D K Modi, shared in New Delhi. He encouraged her to delve deeper into the world of canvas and paint. The conception of Gallery Espace was the result of that gentle nudge. Its first exhibition—in 1989—showcased the autobiographical works of Husain. Success followed. Today, Renu Modi is credited with organising some of the country’s first curated shows, holding all-women exhibitions and focusing on mediums that didn’t get the attention they deserved.

Drawing inspiration

Born into a conservative Marwari family, while growing up, summers for Modi meant spending a month in their ancestral home in Sujangarh, which is about 150 km from Bikaner in Rajasthan. “All the cousins would get together. I had the opportunity to revisit the haveli about 15 years ago when my parents organised a puja there,” she says.

She married into one of India’s most influential industrialist families in 1976, and the Kolkata-based Marwari moved to Modinagar. On their many trips to New Delhi, Renu and D K Modi routinely met members of the city’s business community and celebrities. Some of them were art lovers or collectors. Discussions would gradually move to art and trends.