The Fine Art Of Timing It Right

A man who willingly trades in a Mercedes for an artwork is, without question, a true connoisseur. For Manoj Israni, who’s intensely passionate about art and determined to line the walls of his home with masterpieces, a luxury car seemed like a small price to pay. Having redefined ‘luxury living’ as surrounding himself with art and beloved companions—specifically his dogs, Edward and Oliver— Israni seeks to highlight how a creative outlook to life can be the foundation of creating a priceless collection.

While Israni is a renowned collector today, his entry into the world of art was quite fortuitous. “Art is something that came out of the blue. I run a pharma company,” he says, adding that he was raised in an environment where art and creativity were valued. But his interest in collecting was sparked by a simple need: furnishing his new home. Driven by a desire to recreate the atmosphere of his childhood home—headlined by a massive M.F. Husain painting placed front and centre—he began a hunt for his own masterpieces. “I bought a smaller Husain painting because I didn’t have enough space for a big one. Three months later, the person I bought it from asked me if I wanted to sell it back. I agreed and she gave me nine times the price for it, which I thought was interesting,” he recalls.