On January 11th, our New York office had the pleasure of visiting the DAG Modern Art Gallery. Originally started in New Delhi, Delhi Art Gallery now has 4 galleries with New York as its first international one. 12 staff were treated to a private showing of their current exhibition, “The Art of Bengal.” Among the diverse range of Bengali art, it was insightful to learn the historical significance of each grouping. Many controversial, each piece told a story of India’s trajectory from British rule to Independence.

We were fortunate enough to view the work of Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore’s piece is unique in that his work was declared a “National Treasure” in 1976. Because it was purchased in the U.K., the New York gallery is able to feature such work out of India. Our tour guide was thoughtful in pointing out the unique qualities of many of the pieces displayed, which made the experience all the more fascinating.

The art displayed at DAG varied in everything from style to medium. Though each piece was compelling in its own way, a crowd favorite among the eam was a painting by Hemen Mazumdar. The piece is an oil on canvas, and extremely realistic. The emotion conveyed on the subject’s face was enough to cause most of us to linger around the painting for some time.

Gallery Director Sunil Chaddha shared his passion for art, explaining to our group that he did not develop an interest until recent years. Coming from a finance background, Sunil’s passion is exemplified through his visible excitement towards bringing more audiences to DAG Modern. We can expect that this new passion combined with his financial background will take DAG Modern to the next level.