Private Investment consultant
www.garnierart.com

Christopher Garnier, Director of Garnier Arts, lives and works in France and London. From an early age, his interests in fine art lead him into Asian arts. He studied Indian Art and Sculpture at the British Museum to gain a deeper understanding of the ancient and modern art practices within Asia; specifically in India.   Fluent in French, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic enabled a hands on approach through vast peripatetic to gain an in depth insight into ancient and modern practices. He brings his expertise and discernment in the chosen works from all over Asia.

For the past five years Christopher has been actively searching the sub continent in search of contemporary artists whose work he sources to exhibit in Mayfair. His first exhibition, November 2006, showed seven emerging Indian artists in his exhibition ‘Shifting Focus’, his chosen seven; Pratul Dash, George Martin, MSC Satya Sai, Alok Bok, Swapna Biswas, Shridhar Iyer and Sarika Mehta who had all exhibited in India and some Internationally, still were not that widely known outside of India. Their work remained broadly within the traditions of the Bengal School and the Bombay Progressives, such as Souza, Raza and Housain whilst bringing a contemporary edge and excitement to their work. Like Indian artists from previous generations, their inspiration came from their inherited traditions.  The works from this first exhibition was thoroughly researched and uniquely sourced to provide an insight between past and present encounters in India today. Today these carefully chosen artists have become major contenders in the International contemporary market.

His second exhibition, again in Mayfair in June 2007, concentrated on the previously shown artists, MSC Satya Sai; whose recent ‘Buddha series’ showed his maturity in the international art world contemporary market emerge.  However, in November 2008 Christopher spent even more efforts in searching artists, some previously exhibited by him and some new, to curate the most exciting exhibition to date this exhibition timely coincided with London’s Asian Art Week; 4th – 10th Nov. It was again a success.

Indian art; Contemporary, modern or ancient, is no longer limited to the Indian collectors. Indian art is now seen as an investment area without the restrictions of the Chinese or Middle Eastern art. All of the major London auction houses showed poor sales of their once in demand Indian modern works, nevertheless, India has not fallen from favour, it’s simply adjusted to the Contemporary art being produced.

Christopher has been an avid collector of Indian Contemporary art for many years. He has featured on national radio and presents lectures and presentations on Indian Art; covering both the Contemporary and Progressive Modernist Schools.