Ebrahim Alkazi Directing Art The Making of a Modern Indian Art World

•An exploration of the life and work of Ebrahim Alkazi•While most treatises on his work focus on his involvement with theater, this volume takes an in-depth look at Alkazi's extensive engagement with the arts, as well as how his work reflects on his family, and the post-colonial scene in India•Contains 400 color illustrations, including those of art exhibited at Art Heritage gallery, previously unpublishedThe doyen of India's art and theater scenes, Ebrahim Alkazi has been credited with garnering worldwide visibility for Indian art. Ebrahim Alkazi: Directing Art explores how his unique way of locating Indian art within a broader framework led to several formal engagements with artists such as MF Husain, FN Souza, SH Raza, Gieve Patel, and Anish Kapoor, among others. This volume brings together over 400 paintings, many of them exhibited at Art Heritage, and previously unpublished. They chase Alkazi's landmark exhibitions of European modern art in 1954, a result of his and his wife Roshen's passionate engagement with contemporary artistic production. Featuring several conversations and essays, Directing Art provides a context for the Alkazis' participation in the evolution of a transnational history of modernism, and their long association with the Progressive Artists Group. Also included is an intimate portrayal by Amal Allana, Alkazi's daughter, who talks of her father's passion for art and theater, his revolutionary multi-disciplinary style, and the bohemian world of Mumbai's post-colonial art scene. A chronicle of the remarkable life and work of Ebrahim Alkazi, Directing Art is an invaluable education in Indian art.

Parul Dave-Mukherjee is a professor and former dean at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and has written several works on global and Indian art history. Amal Allana previously worked as Chairperson of the National School of Drama, and has directed over 60 plays for the stage. Yashodhara Dalmia is an art historian and independent curator based in New Delhi. Shukla Sawant is Associate Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and has been involved in several biennales and artist-led initiatives. Devika Singh is a critic and art historian, focusing on Indian modern and contemporary art and its international contexts. Akansha Rastogi is Curator at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Partha Mitter is a writer and historian of art and culture, specializing in the reception of Indian art in the West.