After London, AstaGuru opens second international hub in Singapore

Three months after it opened its first overseas office, in London, Mumbai-based auction house AstaGuru has turned its attention to Southeast Asia with a debut in Singapore. 

 

It marked the launch of its office and gallery at Winsland House II with an exhibition of modern and contemporary Indian art spanning the 1950s to the 2020s. On till October 23, the exhibition features the works of SH Raza, MF Husain, Krishen Khanna, and Thota Vaikuntam, among others.

 

“Southeast Asia, and Singapore specifically, has a substantial and growing base of collectors, many of whom have historically had to look to London, New York, or Mumbai to participate meaningfully in this category,” said Jillian Kwan, managing director, AstaGuru Singapore.

 

 

For the auction house, modern and contemporary Indian art would remain the core here as well, but it will also bring fine jewellery, luxury watches, and rare collectibles to the region – “categories that have strong existing demand here and align closely with the collecting culture in Singapore and across Southeast Asia,” Kwan said.  

MF Husain x Tyche at AstaGuru's inaugural exhibition of modern and contemporary Indian art at its Winsland House II gallery in Singapore

 

The ambition is to widen the scope beyond artworks and collectibles from India alone. “Much as with London, we see an opportunity to bring in international works and cross-category collectibles here, while continuing to champion South Asian art as a distinct and important category within that mix,” Kwan said.

 

The auction model will, however, remain digital-first, giving collectors across the world equal access, regardless of geography, explained Aparna Batra, chief business officer, AstaGuru Auction House. 

 

Acknowledging that collecting is a personal experience, and that people want to see, understand and engage with an artwork or object before they acquire it, Batra said, “As in India and London, Singapore will have a physical presence through previews, exhibitions, private viewings and events. The model is, therefore, deliberately hybrid: Physical access, digital execution and a global collector base.”

 

The demand for Indian artists has come mostly from collectors within India. But galleries and auction houses have noticed a shift in recent years: A growing interest among collectors from outside India. 

 

“We are seeing this particularly at the top end of the market, where artists such as Husain, Raza and (FN) Souza are increasingly entering the consideration set of global collectors,” Batra said. 

 

The market, however, remains underserved relative to its potential, said Batra. “That gap is exactly why we see Singapore, alongside London, as a strategic priority rather than a peripheral one.”

 

The context around Indian artists is also changing. “International museums, galleries and exhibitions are placing Indian modern and contemporary artists within a broader global art narrative, rather than treating them as a separate regional story,” Batra said. That naturally creates a new audience. “We are still at an early stage compared with markets such as Chinese or Latin American art, but the direction is clear,” she added. “The next phase of growth in Indian art will come not only from deeper participation by Indian collectors, but from the market being discovered by the world.”