The Facts
On October 6, 2026, Christie's announced its first exhibition in Asia dedicated to modern South Asian art, 'Masterpieces of Modern South Asian Art: Highlights from the Dabriwala Collection'. Free and open to the public from November 18 to November 29 at The Henderson in Hong Kong, the show brings together over twenty works by leading artists including Cheong Soo Pieng, Hendra Gunawan, Affandi, Arpita Singh, and Salman Toor. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the 'India by the Bay' festival and reflects the collecting vision of Surbhit Dabriwala and his family, who have built the collection over four decades. It marks one of the first public displays of the Dabriwala Collection.
The Signal
The exhibition signals Christie's strategic push to grow the market for South Asian modern art in the Asia-Pacific region, a category historically underrepresented in the auction house's Asian programming. By presenting a private collection of this scale alongside scholarly programming—including a November 29 panel discussion with the collector and Christie's specialists—the house aims to deepen collector engagement and institutional interest. For the market, it underscores the rising global visibility of modern South Asian artists and the potential for cross-regional cultural exchange.
- Artists: Cheong Soo Pieng, Hendra Gunawan, Affandi, Arpita Singh, Salman Toor
- People: Surbhit Dabriwala, Nishad Avari, Damian Vesey, Rishika Assomull
- Auction Houses: Christie's
- Locations: Hong Kong
The Morning Signal · Daily
Get stories like this in your inbox
The art world in one daily email — auctions, openings, and acquisitions from 90+ primary sources, distilled into a five-minute read. Independent — no marketplace, no gallery ads.
Join collectors, dealers & curators
No spam · free every morning · unsubscribe anytime
The Jobs Digest · Weekly
New art-world jobs, every Monday
The Jobs Digest rounds up the week’s new museum, gallery, and auction-house openings — with salary when disclosed. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime.
