Bengali artist alleges harassment 

Kolkata-based artist Payel Sarkar, who alleged that city-based gallery owner returned her artwork after 2 years and harassed her, clarifies her stance Payel Sarkar, who hails from Kolkata, alleged that Gallery Space owner Hanumantha Rao had not returned her three paintings immediately after the exhibition, which was conducted in 2014.

She also alleged that he threatened her on FB chat and made indecent proposals to her over the phone. She stated that he returned the paintings only after two years when she started posting about it on her FB wall. Payel claims that he unframed her artworks and then sent it to her.

“Last year on my birthday Hanumantha Rao called to wish me and over the phone, he told that he will not return my three paintings, which were exhibited at my gallery as invited artist from Kolkata for ‘Monsoon Show’ 2014,” she alleged.

“I gave my paintings to him for his exhibition. He told me that he will return my paintings after the month-long exhibition. He spoke to me in Bengali, and said not to be very professional and will definitely return my paintings after the show. And he also said that there is absolutely no requirement of any official documentation,” she added.

In one of her FB statuses, she wrote: “He only sent a canvas roll. He had not paid the money to Gati Service. My father paid for it, as I am out of town. I don't know yet what are inside the roll and how are the conditions of my three paintings. My father will take the roll to police and then he will open it the way he got from Gati Service. It is intact now. He unframed my three canvas paintings, without my permission and without informing me.

I never faced these from any gallery owners or art dealers. Gallery owners can keep the paintings if the artist and owners both agree, otherwise not. He told me he will return my paintings after the show.” Denying Payel’s allegations, Hanumantha Rao said, “I returned the works to her one week back.”

However, Payel averred that Gati Service document states that it was delivered to her address on June 24, 2016, and not one week back. While there is no way to confirm every other allegation by the artist, it is definitely questionable why the curator chose to keep an artist’s works for over two years. Usually the galleries keep the works with them for a while after the show, that too on mutual agreement.

Hanumantha Rao gives his side of the story, “It was she who asked me to keep the paintings to sell them. Two months ago she called me asking me to return the paintings, but I was in my home town as my father had passed away.” “Why will I threaten her? I am running this gallery since 15 years. You can ask any artist artist about me,” he added.

By Askari Jaffer