For me, art has always been about creating connections between people, places, and the spaces they inhabit.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Varun Nagpal when he visited me in Berlin. What began as a private studio visit soon turned into a conversation about collecting, architecture, and the role art plays in shaping the feeling of a home.
Varun is not only an avid collector but also the founder of Vianaar, one of India’s most visionary luxury real estate companies. Over the past fifteen years, he has built a reputation for crafting boutique villas and residences that blend contemporary design with a deep respect for local context and nature. His projects are not just developments, they are living environments designed to elevate the everyday and offer their residents a sense of calm, culture, and connection.
After acquiring several of my works, now part of Varun’s private collection, he extended a rare invitation to come to Goa as the inaugural artist for Vianaar’s first ever residency.
This was no ordinary opportunity. For a full month, I immersed myself in Goa, creating new works in an environment that was at once serene, textured, and alive with inspiration. The residency was as much about dialogue as creation, a dialogue between my practice and the architectural language of Vianaar, between canvas and space, between artist and collector.
Some of the works I created there will remain in India as part of Varun’s collection, a lasting testament to this collaboration and a way for the energy of these pieces to live within the spaces Vianaar has so carefully shaped.
This journey was fully documented and captured on film, offering a rare behind the scenes look at the creative process, the environment that shaped these works, and the conversations that made this residency so special.
Experiences like this are rare. They remind me that true collecting is not simply about acquisition, it is about participation. For those who collect my work, it is an invitation to step into the process, to shape the narrative, and to own a piece of a story that continues to unfold.
