Sotheby’s is the Premier Auction House destination for Art and Luxury since its founding in 1744 spanning NY, London, Paris and HK: NY being its Global Headquarters. More than 85 live auctions take place annually with records routinely broken. As you step through the doors of this magnificent building, you are faced with the most diverse Global Art.
Meeting me in this venerable institution is Manjari Sihare Sutin, the VP and Co-Worldwide, Head of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art. She is exquisitely but simply dressed in an off-white Chanel dress emphasizing her role and position. A casual Row scarf completes the picture. We meet at Sant Ambroeus, the in-house branch of the famed Madison Avenue Restaurant, steeped in Milanese tradition and NY elegance. Over Sancerre and the house signature Ravioli, we discussed Manjari’s role over her 10 years at Sotheby’s. Among her many achievements is overseeing 71 world auction records from March 2022 to September 2024 for Modern & Contemporary South Asian art.
Manjari was raised in Delhi and learnt the world of art at the Lalit Kala Akademi under the creative and professional eye of her Uncle, the late great L. P. Sihare; who headed the National Gallery of Modern Art in India and Manjari had grown up amidst a generation of artists. She graduated in Art History in Delhi before coming to New York for higher studies at NYU in Visual Arts Administration.
Manjari took to the art world like a true professional. She’s been in NY since 2010 and started her career with showcasing Rina Banerjee, among the first South Asian diasporic artists to show at The Whitney Biennale. From there to Saffron Arts and then as the Curatorial Manager at Queens Museum. Manjari joined Sotheby’s in 2015 after nine grueling interviews and now 10 years later, as she nibbles on the artichoke salad, she assures me they have been the best years of her life. Being VP and Co-Worldwide, Head of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art at Sotheby’s immediately makes her a powerhouse to reckon with. Manjari is at the epicenter of Sotheby’s grandeur at this stage – but how does it feel like being the Ambassador for South Asian Art – her response was that it helped bring all her diverse experiences under one platform.
Manjari reminded me that Sotheby’s pioneered Modern & Contemporary South Asian art in 1995. The South Asian Art market is still relatively young, about 30 years old, but has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Manjari’s personal theory is that people started appreciating what they already owned and how they could now add to it. The Indian NRI diaspora population has been extremely supportive as they were buying a slice of their heritage. But there is a parallel burgeoning market of non-Indians who are interested in the idea of investing in India, the 4th largest economy.
Image credits: Asia Week 2025
The conversation pivots to the pulsating heart of the art market. I ask Manjari – everyone speaks of Husain, Raza, Souza and their $1M plus paintings. Is there a market besides that? Yes, there is. Works by Sabavala and Swaminathan achieved unprecedented prices in March 2025, surpassing their own previous records. But where are the living, contemporary South Asian artists? This wave is happening fast as evidenced by Sheela Gowda, Atul Dodiya and the next generation such as Huma Bhabha, Aftab Patel etc. And Bangladesh and Pakistan? She was quick to point out the brilliance of the Dhaka Art Fair and Shahzia Sikander from Pakistan. Manjari truly believes the time is ready for both diversity and democratization of the arts.
How is this Indian Art market growing? She foresees exponential growth. Aside from the yearly Indian Art Fair, a number of new museums like the Kiran Nadar Museum in Delhi, the MAP in Bangalore, the Gujral Foundation in Delhi is commissioning a public pavilion series and the Kochi Biennale has its adherents. Add to this the new emerging artists each with their own specific aesthetic vocabulary ranging from performance, installations, photography, painting and sculpture.
It was time for dessert and we ordered the Principessa with its beloved almond marzipan. But what’s new for her personally? Well Sotheby’s started in NYC on Madison Avenue and then moved to its present location on York Avenue. Soon Sotheby’s will be moving back to Madison Avenue to the Breuer Building. This is a historic return as Sotheby’s Parke-Bernet formerly operated at 980 Madison Avenue. Contributing to the artistic revitalization of the Upper East Side, the architects for the redesign will be Swiss-based Herzog & de Meuron, which will include state-of-the-art gallery spaces and reimagined auction rooms. Roman and Williams, the firm behind renowned French restaurant La Mercerie in Soho, will spearhead the new fine dining restaurant. I’m thrilled I said – a glamorous location to visit and toast her in her new elevated position. Manjari was quick to accept the compliment – she sure wears her mantle of success with humility and grace. Her unwavering commitment to showcasing the breadth and depth of this new emerging artistic brilliance further underscores her success in the years to come.
Jaswant Lalwani is a global real estate advisor and lifestyle consultant in New York City and the Greater
Miami Area. He is also an avid writer and globetrotter. To read more of his work visit www.jlalwani.com
