Christie’s is presenting its first exhibition in Asia dedicated to modern South Asian art at The Henderson in Hong Kong, featuring over twenty works from the Dabriwala Collection, press.christies.com reported.
The exhibition, titled Masterpieces of Modern South Asian Art: Highlights from the Dabriwala Collection, runs free and open to the public from 18 to 29 November at the auction house’s Asia Pacific headquarters. It marks one of the first public exhibitions of the private collection, which spans multiple generations of stewardship under Surbhit Dabriwala and his family.
Exhibition Scope and Regional Context
The showcase brings together works by leading modern artists from South Asia, mapping major movements and developments across the 20th century. Timed to coincide with the annual India by the Bay series of events in Hong Kong, the exhibition aims to broaden engagement with the category across Asia.
Surbhit Dabriwala noted that the collection began with his father more than four decades ago. Over time, the scope expanded across South and Southeast Asia, incorporating artists such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Hendra Gunawan, and Affandi, alongside contemporary and diasporic voices like Arpita Singh and Salman Toor.
"What inspired me most was the realisation of how much of this work is religious and spiritual in the oldest sense," Dabriwala stated, adding that the artists engaged with tradition and identity through a modern visual vocabulary.
Christie's Leads South Asian Modern Art Auction Market
Christies.com reports that Christie’s leads the market in auctions of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art. The department regularly handles works by prominent figures including Francis Newton Souza, Maqbool Fida Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Sayed Haider Raza, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Jehangir Sabavala, Ganesh Pyne, Manjit Bawa, Bhupen Khakhar, Nasreen Mohamedi, Zarina, Arpita Singh, and Gulammohammed Sheikh.
The market for the category has seen significant valuation milestones in recent years. In March 2025, Christie’s sold Maqbool Fida Husain’s seminal work Untitled (Gram Yatra) for $13,750,000, marking the largest sum ever paid for a work of Modern Indian Art. The auction house has also managed notable single-owner sales, including collections from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza, Shumita and Arani Bose, Mahinder and Sharad Tak, Jane and Kito de Boer, and Romi Lamba.
Nishad Avari, Head of Christie’s South Asian Modern + Contemporary Department, stated that the Dabriwala exhibition offers a compelling overview of the artistic movements that have shaped the category over the past century.
Panel Discusses Dabriwala Collection at The Henderson
On 29 November, Christie’s will host a panel discussion titled South Asia in the Global Pantheon: The Dabriwala Collection at The Henderson from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Damian Vesey, Senior Director and International Specialist for South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art at Christie’s London, joins collector Surbhit Dabriwala in the discussion. Rishika Assomull, Senior Director at Villepin Art, will moderate the session, which explores the formation of the collection and the growing global appreciation of South Asian art.
The exhibition and related programming coincide with Christie’s 40th anniversary in Asia in 2026. Over the past four decades, the business has coordinated major regional sales, expanded its footprint, and introduced digital platforms for Asian collectors.