Neville Tuli
Neville Tuli | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 24, 1964 England, UK |
| Occupation(s) | Author, curator, archivist |
| Known for | Contributions to Arts and Cultural Heritage in India; founder of Osian's Connoisseurs of Art and Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS) |
Neville Tuli (born 24 April 1964, England, UK) is an influential author, curator, and archivist who has made significant contributions to the Arts and Cultural Heritage sector in India. He completed his education at the London School of Economics and St Catherine's College, Oxford. After residing in England, he moved back to India in 1993.
The Flamed Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting
In 1997, Tuli published The Flamed Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting, a work exploring the aesthetics and historical development of Indian Modern and Contemporary Painting.
Shivaji Pannikar acknowledged this volume as the first exhaustive study dedicated to Indian painting.
Ratan Parimoo regarded the book as both 'substantial' and 'timely,' emphasizing its contribution to elevating contemporary Indian art on the global stage.
Martin Kämpchen, writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, commended the book for its rich historical content, detailed artist biographies, comprehensive bibliography, and inclusion of interviews with painters.
Chitra Sardesai of Mid-Day remarked that Tuli’s curation offers an unparalleled overview of contemporary Indian art, ensuring its lasting significance through this authoritative publication.
Tuli himself expressed that the book aimed to invigorate the Indian art scene by addressing a previously unmet need for critical discourse.
Additional Publications and Interviews
In 1999, Neville Tuli participated in a series of four interviews conducted by Indian artist Dr Gieve Patel and historian Professor Shadakshari Settar, featured in The Hindu. These discussions highlighted the urgent necessity for developing art infrastructure within India.
Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS)
Established by Tuli in 2023, TRIS is dedicated to disseminating his vast archive and expertise across arts, cinema, and related disciplines. Its first exhibition, titled Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India, took place in March 2024 at the India International Centre Gallery in New Delhi. This showcase featured artifacts, digitized artworks, archival documents, and memorabilia curated by the center.
TRIS maintains an extensive collection of rare and contemporary archival resources that reflect Tuli’s vision of an autonomous institution fostering learning and exploration. His journeys throughout India resulted in comprehensive photographic records of both iconic sites and lesser-known monuments, which form a crucial part of TRIS’s holdings. The archive encompasses modern and contemporary fine arts, crafts, architectural heritage, Indian and global cinema, photography, ecological research, animal welfare initiatives, and social sciences.
The Sunday Guardian characterized TRIS as "beyond a mere academic establishment," describing it as "a tribute to Neville Tuli’s enduring commitment to safeguarding and advancing India’s cultural legacy." The center prioritizes bridging India's historical heritage with contemporary contexts through meticulous preservation efforts and scholarly inquiry.
Osianama
In 2013, Tuli and Osian's introduced osianama.com, a platform dedicated to Indian art that also features a specialized search engine tailored specifically for Indian artworks.
Osian's Connoisseurs of Art
Established by Neville Tuli in 2000, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art (Osian's) organized over 40 auctions between 2000 and 2019, significantly contributing to the expansion of India's secondary market for contemporary art and promoting numerous Indian artists. The company innovatively blended film memorabilia with contemporary art through its Film and Popular Culture Auctions, thereby raising the profile of popular arts. Additionally, Osian's sports memorabilia auctions played a role in safeguarding cultural heritage.
Osian's exhibitions were instrumental in creating a sustainable framework for incorporating arts into India's development agenda. In 2004, Osian acquired the journal Cinemaya along with the Cinefan festival, retaining Aruna Vasudev as the festival director.
The launch of Osian’s Art Fund in 2006 saw Neville Tuli serve as Chief Advisor while Osian's acted as sponsor. This fund amassed INR 102.4 crores from 656 investors. Nevertheless, SEBI initiated legal proceedings against Osian's in 2008 due to non-compliance with regulatory filings concerning the fund. Despite ongoing discussions with SEBI regarding registration criteria, no definitive guidance was provided. A 2015 SAT ruling highlighted that SEBI had yet to deliver a judgment on the matter and clarified that the scheme did not fall under CIS regulations.
Additional information can be found at Osian's Connoisseurs of Art.
The Tuli Foundation for Holistic Education & Art (HEART)
Founded in 1996 by Tuli, HEART (The Tuli Foundation for Holistic Education & Art) was established to foster a quality-driven infrastructure supporting Indian fine arts.
HEART debuted with "The Intuitive Logic: A Festival of Indian Contemporary Painting," which evolved into a series of non-commercial exhibitions held in New Delhi and Mumbai. These were organized in collaboration with The British Council, Max Mueller Bhavan (now Goethe Institut), and notable galleries including Cymroza, Chemould, Pundole, and Prithvi. The festival was praised by the Mid-Day as "manna" for enthusiasts of art.
HEART’s initial curated auction, "The Intuitive-logic II," achieved record-breaking prices for artists such as Raja Ravi Varma; notably, his painting Begum's Bath fetched Rs. 32 lacs—the highest recorded price at the time for a modern Indian artwork and documented in the Limca Book of Records.
Books and Auction Catalogues
- 1997, The Flamed Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting, Neville Tuli, HEART & Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.,
- 1997, The Intuitive-Logic II: Modern & Contemporary Indian Paintings, Drawings, Graphics, Sculpture & Tapestry, HEART.,
- 1999, HEART: Intuitive Logic – The Next Step, HEART.,
- 2001, India: The Passionate Detachment, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2001, India: Historical Lila, Mumbai, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2002, A Historical Mela: The ABC of India The Art, Book & Cinema, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2002, A Historical Epic: India in the Making 1757–1950 From Surrender to Revolt, Swaraj to Responsibility, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2002, MMQ & Indian Modern & Contemporary Paintings, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2003, Forty Masterpieces 20th Century Painting & Drawing From India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, Mumbai, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2003, FN-FN Figurative Non-Figurative Narration, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2004, Masterpieces & Museum-Quality III Indian Contemporary Paintings with Rare Books & Vintage Cinema Memorabilia, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2004, The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series IV Indian Contemporary Art Paintings and Sculpture, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2005, Indian Contemporary Art Painting, Drawing & Sculpture, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2005, Film Memorabilia & The Fine-Popular Cultures of India, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2005, Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series V: Indian Contemporary Paintings, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2006, Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series VI, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2006, The ABC Series Art, Book & Cinema, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2006, Forty Masterpieces Museum Quality Series VII, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2007, Museum Quality Series VIII, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2007, ABC Series III Art, Book & Cinema, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2007, The Masterpieces & ABC Series, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2007, The Masters Series, Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2008, Indian Modern & Contemporary Art (Multiple Editions), Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2008–09 Various editions in the ABC Series and Museum Quality Series by Osian’s Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.,
- 2010–14 Numerous catalogues including The Masterpieces Series and Creative India Series covering regional art markets and specialized auctions such as film memorabilia and cricket heritage by Osian’s Connoisseurs of Art Pvt. Ltd.
Exhibitions curated
- 1997, Intuitive Logic: A Festival of Indian Modern & Contemporary Painting, Mumbai
- 2004, The Underlying Spirit, New Delhi
- 2005, Revisualising India, New Delhi
- 2006, The Osian Asian, New Delhi
- 2006, World Cinema Exhibition
- 2007, An Historical Epic (exhibition in three parts), New Delhi
- 2008, The Osian Asian II, New Delhi
- 2009, Jashn Osianama
- 2011, Indian Contemporary Art: The Intuitive – Logic Revisited from the Osian's Collection at the World Economic Forum, Davos
- 2014, Celebrating Raja Ravi Varma - The Relevance and Significance of A National Art Treasure
- 2024, Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India, New Delhi
- 2024, The World’s Greatest Mela – Respecting India’s Cinematic Heritage, New Delhi