One of India’s most prolific modern artists Jehangir Vazifdar never sold a single painting. He chose not to! He was an architect & builder by profession, but an artist by passion. Yet his work stands alongside paintings by FN Souza, MF Husain, Krishen Khanna, Somnath Hore, Mohan Samant and Krishna Reddy, in the New York University’s Gallery of Art.
The same man was celebrated on what would have been his 96th birthday with great pomp and flair at The Taj Art Gallery, a place where Vazifdar's works were last shown in 1966! Michelle Poonawalla (grand-daughter of the artist) and her father, Phiroze Vazifdar (son of the artist) launched the coffee table book title "Jehangir Vazifdar- Artist and Visionary" and hosted an enchanting evening that consisted of an art preview of select works of the man who is recognized as India's finest architects, Jehangir Vazifdar.
Jehangir Vazifdar is better known for his contributions to the skyline of Bombay in the form of iconic buildings like the Breach Candy Apartments, Sorrento, Eden Hall, Amalfi, Cuffe Castle and Washington House. He is considered to be one among Mumbai’s best architects. As famous an architect, Vazifdar kept his work as an artist fairly personal. He had created over 10,000 works, although he seldom exhibited, and never sold, his works.
Five years after his demise in 2011, his legacy was immortalized last evening with a Coffee table book titled “Jehangir Vazifdar – Artist & Visionary”, a compilation of his accomplishments and art works that has been a work in progress for his son, Phiroze Vazifdar and grand-daughter, Michelle Poonawalla. The creme de la creme of Sobo and beyond were there to celebrate a man who is iconic to the heritage of Mumbai and was surely far ahead of his times what with building some of the tallest sky scrapers in our city decades ago! Michelle looked gorgeous in a Fendi dressed styled with classic nude Christian Louboutins' and an Hermes clutch. Her husband Yohan Poonawalla was seen playing the perfect host and ensuring that everyone had a good time. The man of the hour, Phiroze Vazifdar was seemingly proud and beaming at the praise his fathers' artworks were receiving.
Present at the event was the famed writer and theatre personality, Babasaheb Purandare whose works are mostly based on the events related to the life of Shivaji. Purandare held Jehangir Vazifdar in high regard and in fact, the last painting that the artist completed was a portrait of Shivaji that has received immense praise from the likes of Raj Thackeray. Also present were guests who were close to Jehangir and had seen him paint since his 20s like Sabira Merchant, Pheroza Godrej Monica Vazirali and more. Also spotted having a great time and looking their best were the girl gang of Ramona Narang, Prerna Goel, Laila Lamba, Renu Chainani, Delna Poonawalla, Shaheen Abbas, Rouble Nagi, Namrata Barua, Tanaaz Doshi, Maheka Mirpuri, Farah Khan Ali and many more. In the couples Falguni and Shane Peacock were seen praising the works as were Gaurav Bhatia with his wife Pramita, Praveena and Jamal Mecklai, Aarti and Kailash Surendranath, Deveika and Suresh Bhojwani, Bindu with her husband, Milan and Liane Luthria. Boman Irani and Mohit Burman were seen catching up and discussing the modernism of the art of a man who was a part of the Pre-British Era.
Speaking about the book during the launch and the emotional value it possesses, Phiroze stated, “Thank you friends for coming here for the launch of the book on my late father on what would have been his 96th birthday. My father was surely an artist and visionary and was way ahead of his times. Through this show and the book, I would like to share his passion and vision. The fact that his last exhibition was at The Taj Art Gallery 50 years ago in 1966, makes this one even more special and dear to all of us. I would like to thank all the people who helped with this book and Niyati Shinde who has worked tirelessly. My special thanks to my team, my office and my family members. Last but not the least I want to take this oppurtunity to thank shiv Shahak Babasaheb Purandare to encourage my father. This was his last painting, Shivaji portrait and It is here because of Babsaheb."
Niyati Shinde, who has compiled the book for the last two years stated that, "The book has been weaned out of a voluminous but very amazing archive of paintings, drawings, press cuttings, personal letters, photographs etc,Every document presented exciting information and it was an arduous but fulfilling project. We also conserved all the paintings making it an aesthetically formidable collection."
Michelle took the stage and added that, "Good evening and thank you for coming today. My grandfather was a man of many talents and there is a story to be told. Born in 1920 he started in JJ school of architecture. He then became a prominent architect and built Bharti Vidya Bhavan, the TATA memorial hospital, Breach Candy Apartments and was a great architect. He was the first builder to have the courage to build in Cuffe Parade, since at the time, nobody wanted to go on that side of town. He made Cuffe Castle and Palm Springs and today Cuffe Parade is a township in its own! However, His passion was art and he used to have many exhibitions at the Taj Art Gallery. In 1965 at an exhibition, a lady from the USA called Abbey Grey saw his collection and wanted to buy one painting. He believed that in his art he was a free man and he did not want to be curtailed by money and refused her. She persisted and he agreed to giving her a gift. It was his self portrait which you must have seen that was done in a geometric style using the "colour alphabet" which he was famous for as is visible in the painting. In his 60s he started a new technique and this was surely his love and pride. That technique was putting colour and oil paint on the canvas and then using a foot ruler to create images. Initially it was abstract images and later on he created portraits of famous people and wouldn't sell it but would gift it to people he was inspired by like The Pope Richard Nixon and a Shivaji Portrait to Babasaheb Purandare and so on. He did not tell anybody of his technique but me and wanted his legacy to continue. I was an ace art student and when he told it to me it is my duty to carry on his legacy and I will keep it a secret till the next artist in our family. This book will share with you many of his hidden talents."
Incidently, The Late Jehangir Vazifdar posed with the same painting titiled "Self Portrait" at the same Taj Art Gallery in 1966! .
All in all, an art event that celebrated the artist inside the famous architect, Jehangir Vazifdar!
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