A tireless champion of South Asian art, culture
Mumbai-born woman worked hard to raise money and find a home for artifacts
The walls of the basement in the Chandarias’ North York family home are covered in canvases, some large, some small — a mini gallery of modern Indian art, all curated by Arti Chandaria. Another pile of unframed canvases lies on the floor.
“She used to give us art for birthday gifts,” said daughter Avni Chandaria, as her father, Pulin Chandaria, led a tour through the basement. “Instead of an allowance, she gave us money to buy books.”
“We are trying to figure out what to do with Arti’s projects. She had so many. She was really passionate about art,” said Pulin.
Arti Chandaria, who died Jan. 23, grew up surrounded by India’s rich cultural tradition. Her father was a textile exporter dealing in pichwais, (painted cloth hung in temples and typically depicting Lord Krishna) among other fabrics. Her job as an interior designer for the Taj Group of Hotels connected her with the luxury hotel chain’s impressive collection of heritage and modern works.
When she moved to Toronto, Chandaria became a tireless champion for South Asian arts and culture in the city. She was instrumental in finding a home for South Asian artifacts in institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Textile Museum of Canada. She organized events, raised money and created a network of people interested in South Asian arts.
Chandaria died at age 54 following a 20-year battle with cancer.
Born in Mumbai, Chandaria moved to Canada in1985 as a new bride. Her husband was often away on foreign business trips. She began frequenting museums, finding comfort and a spiritual peacefulness in their galleries, said Deepali Dewan, senior curator of South Asian arts and culture at the Royal Ontario Museum, speaking at a memorial service held last week in Richmond Hill.
“(She brought) her first-born, An- kesh, to the ROM’s Ming Tomb frequently enough that his first words were ‘camel’ and ‘soldier’ after the large statues they found there,” said Dewan, addressing the large gathering of mourners that, like many of the events Chandaria organized, was standing-room only.
“And yet, she felt a discomfort that the arts and culture of her youth that she loved so much were not more visible in the cultural institutions of her new home. Rather than sitting back, Arti put her heart and soul into seeing this change.”
In 1994, the Chandarias and a small group of friends formed the ROM’s South Asian Advisory Committee. Chandaria organized events at the museum, calling them “Friend-raisers,” noted a 2010 Toronto Star profile. She invited artists, dancers, filmmakers and writers from across South Asia, managing to gather 200 people at the soirees. She made personal calls, asking people to bring two friends along. She also organized the “city’s first South Asian gala, with a $200 ticket and four-course meal.”
The committee raised $3 million. Philanthropist Christopher Ondaatje gave $1 million. The ROM matched with $1 million and Chandaria got the rest through pledges.
“Arti had an ability to motivate people,” said Asma Mahmood, a visual artist and founder of the TD Mosaic Festival. “That she was able to raise such a huge number of (dollars) for the ROM, that ability in itself is tremendous . . . I know how difficult it is to get money out of South Asians, especially for art. But Arti convinced people of its importance.
“She loved the arts. I’d meet her once in a while at a gathering, and she’d ask me what I had been painting. I’d tell her I’ve been too busy to paint. And she’d say: ‘How can you not paint? If I could paint, I would paint every moment.’ ”
Even in her last days, Chandaria did not let her ill health get in the way of her passions.
“(Over the) last several years, I have devoted myself to helping Arti to fulfil her wishes; one of the places she wanted to visit was Borobudur,” said Pulin. Indonesia’s Borobudur Temple, in Central Java, is considered one of the world’s greatest Buddhist monuments, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries.
“We did this in January 2014 . . . At this time, she had a lot of difficulty climbing steps and generally avoided it. However, she was determined to reach the top and willed herself to climb all the way. There are a lot of steps.” The same determination kept bringing her back to the ROM, for her first true love — textiles.
“Up until this past December, she visited the ROM’s textile collection weekly, a walker in her hands,” said Dewan. “And yet, she was still Arti, with a gleam in her eye and a sense of excitement. And she was always impeccably dressed. My textile colleague, Dr. Sarah Fee, was in storage with her and related to me how Arti spent a long time examining each piece of fabric, as if she was trying to memorize each detail, each stitch.”
Arti Chandaria leaves behind husband Pulin Chandaria, son Ankesh and daughter Avni.