Pheroza Godrej: “The two Cs - conservation and curatorship - are what I am focusing on”

Pheroza Godrej

At Pundole’s, Ranjit Hoskote has curated a major survey exhibition, Mapping the Lost Spectrum, incorporating highlights from the collection of Jamshyd and Pheroza Godrej.

And at Chatterjee & Lal, Nancy Adajania has curated The Unpaved, Crusty, Earthy Road, the first retrospective of the important fiber artist Nelly Sethna, championed by Godrej.

In an interview, Godrej retraced the heady days after she opened the gallery all those years ago. Edited excerpts:

How was the art scenario in Bombay (now Mumbai) when you opened Cymroza Art Gallery in 1971? Where did artists exhibit?

The Artists Centre existed before Jehangir Art Gallery, and it was quite affordable. Then, of course, Jehangir Art Gallery came up and became really iconic. The most expensive was the Taj Art Gallery, which was a space allotted to art in the heritage wing of The Taj Mahal Palace. There was also the wonderful Chetana where Akbar Padamsee had his first show. I have also exhibited there.

What prompted you to open an art gallery? Was it rare for a woman to helm such a position in the art space at that time?

It was rare but I never looked at myself as a rarity. I just looked at myself as a young person who wanted to exhibit what we were painting. Once you left art school and once you had participated in the annual exhibition, where do you go or where does your career go? You could either get into advertising or teach art in a school or become a full-time professional painter. Where do you exhibit your work and if you don’t get the opportunity, what do you do? It gave me the idea that we can have a small exhibition space throughout the year where people of my age group, my background, and my thinking can exhibit. And why restrict ourselves to Bombay? It can be a place where artists can come from other parts of the country and exhibit as well.

What were some of the challenges that came your way?

I think if you are focused, have the courage of your conviction, and passionately believe in what you are doing, you will overcome all odds. Honestly, I used to drag artists and critics from one end of the city to take them to shows, offer them a cup of tea and that’s how people started coming. The mindset started changing and it changed quite rapidly. What we did essentially was to maintain the quality of work. Not only the potential buyer but even the art critic realised that there is value in what I was trying to do. The gallery was a nurturing ground for many artists.

On display at Pundole's, as part of Cymroza@50.

The last year or two have been very difficult for everyone, including the art world. How did you manage to put together the golden jubilee celebrations?

This project actually started five years ago. I needed to know the condition of all the artwork, the historical background of the artwork, how the medium has fared over the last 50 years, and to make a very systematic presentation of the entire collection. For my team, I wanted to pick and choose people who were sensitive to what I was trying to express and that is how people such as Ranjit Hoskote, Nancy Adajania and Mortimer Chatterjee came into the picture.

What role do you envisage for Cymroza in the coming few years?

Well, age is not on my side any more (smiles) but I am very enthusiastic. I think conservation and research are very important. I would continue encouraging other art collectors to conserve their artwork. Another area of interest is the practice of curators. How do we develop good curatorial practice in the next generation? I want to encourage people who are good at art history and art criticism to look at curatorship in a broader sense of the term. So, the two Cs – conservation and curatorship are what I am focusing on.

Tapestry by Nelly Sethna (at Chatterjee & Lall)