About KCA
A one-of-a-kind institution, an art hub for professional artists, students and art lovers to come and perhaps admire the sculptures dotted around or just sit with a cup of chai and get lost amongst its creative atmosphere.
History
KCA was established in 1984 by our Chairperson Urmila Kanoria with the support of the Late Dr. B. V. Doshi (2022 RIBA Gold Medal Awardee, 2018 Pritzker Award Laureate) and the Ahmedabad Education Society. Its inaugural stone was laid by the Late M. F. Husain and inputs from Bhupen Khakhar, Piraji Sagara, Geeta Kapur and many more leading personalities in diverse creative fields established KCA's foundation for becoming a non-profit, self sustaining institution.
Through the years, KCA has attracted a large number of visitors and frequently hosts visits by dignitaries and celebrities from various disciplines such as the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Anjolie Ela Menon, Lalitha Lajmi and many more who have offered advice and ideas, further enriching the institution.
Urmila Kanoria (Chairperson)
Born in 1942 and belonging to the Modi family, Urmila Kanoria grew up in Modinagar. From an early age, she inherited her love for welfare work from her mother, Dayavati Modi and was inspired by her father, a renowned industrialist and philanthropist, Gujjarmal Modi.
Married to the well known Kanoria family, Urmila Kanoria then started her life in Kolkata. She worked with various charitable organisations including Women's Interlink, Child Welfare and Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. She was also exposed to art and culture and thus began her love story with Indian Art. Inspired by Santiniketan, it was Urmila Kanoria's dream to build a world renowned centre for creativity.
On moving to Ahmedabad in the early 80's, Urmila Kanoria undertook the herculean task of acquiring land and then building and starting the Kanoria Centre for Arts (KCA) in 1984. She was supported by the Late world renowned architect Balkrishna Doshi and Priyakantbhai Munshaw, Honorary Secretary of the Ahmedabad Education Society (AES).
In all of Urmila Kanoria's efforts she has had the unstinting support of her husband Kailash Kanoria, her son Saket Kanoria and her daughter Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of the JSW Foundation. Suggestions and ideas of the many individuals Urmila has come across in her travels within India and abroad have been implemented at the Centre with great success.
Urmila believes that "without art there is no life", and this motto so heavily embedded in the Centre has made a vast difference to the Ahmedabad art scene.
POSITIONS
Chairperson, Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad
Vice-President, The Bombay Art Society (2021 to 2026)
Vice-Chairperson, Women's Interlink Foundation, Kolkata
Trustee, Kanoria Hospital & Research Centre, Gandhinagar
Trustee, Kanoria Charitable Society, Mukungarh, Rajasthan
AWARDS
1992 International Giant Award
2007 Art Society of India Award
2013 JSAF Nari Shakti Award
2016 Namankit Award
2016 FICCI Flo Sambhavaa Cultural Icon Award
2016 World Leadership Congress Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture
Sangita Jindal (Vice-Chairperson)
As a member on the Advisory Board of KCA since its inception, Sangita has been instrumental in bringing forth new ideas for developing the Centre. As Vice-Chairperson, her role has expanded to overseeing the activities taking place at the Centre and giving support and objectives to ensure that KCA strives onwards and upwards.
Mrs. Sangita Jindal is the Chairperson of the JSW Foundation that is responsible for social development projects of the JSW Group. In the twenty years that she has spearheaded operations, the Foundation has enlarged its scope of activities in the areas of education, health, livelihood creation, local sports development and conservation of our arts and cultural heritage. The Golden Peacock Award for CSR awarded to the JSW Foundation in 2009 and again in 2019 is testimony to her vision and leadership.
Sangita Jindal with her mother Urmila Kanoria in the Gallery at the Centre.
A philanthropist who believes in the transformatory powers of art, Sangita set up Jindal Arts Creative Interaction Centre (JACIC) of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in April 1994. She also publishes Art India Magazine which has been a chronicler of record of the Indian Art scene since 1996.
Her efforts to preserve heritage for future generations led to extensive restoration work at the Hampi temple complex in the southern Indian state of Karnataka & The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai, Maharshtra. The Hampi Foundation for the work at the Chandramauleshwar Temple and The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai have both been conferred the UNESCO-Asia Pacific Award for Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation. She has recently undertaken the restoration of the Shalimar Bagh - the world renowed Mughal Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Sangita is an Eisenhower Fellow and is on the Board of Trustees of the World Monuments Fund - India Chapter & an Advisor on the Khoj Board. She has been inducted as a key member of Tate International Council as well as UN Women Business Sector Advisory Council (BSAC). She is a Governing Board Member of Mumbai First : An initiative striving to make the city a better place for life, work, investment and leisure.
Sangita was recognized by Vogue India as ‘Heritage Keeper of the Year’ in 2019 in their Women of the Year awards celebration in recognition of her work in the preservation of cultural heritage in India. She also received the Golden Peacock Award for Social and Cultural Leadership 2019. In Nov 2022,
She has been elected as the trustee of Asia Society’s Global Board. Today the work that Sangita oversees at the JSW Foundation, runs across 22 locations in 11 Indian states, and has touched over a million lives.
Gargi Yadav (Hon. Director)
Gargi joined the Kanoria Centre for Arts in 2013 as Honorary Director and has been actively involved in bringing the Centre to the forefront both within India and on an International level. She leads the team at the Centre and looks after its day-to-day running whilst maintaining trusted relationships with artists, art galleries, art collectors and auction houses.
In addition to her role at the Centre, Gargi has held the position of Joint Director at NuGa Arthouse since 2011. NuGa Arthouse is a U.K & Ahmedabad based art consultancy that strives to exhibit unique and interesting works of art by leading talented artists. NuGa showcases their artworks through online platforms and in leading galleries both in India and the U.K. Some of NuGa’s recent projects include creating the first ‘Art on Campus’ Masterplan in India for IIT Gandhinagar and advises a number of corporate clients on artwork restoration, documentation and evaluation.
Gargi has previous experience in compliance, risk management, finance and law and has worked for a German Insurance / Reinsurance Company as well as a Lloyd’s Managing Agency and Syndicate in London, U.K.
Gargi Yadav with KCA Chairperson Urmila Kanoria in the KCA Office.
Sonal Singh from Christie’s at KCA’s Annual Function ART 17 talking on the subject of ‘Patronage & Art Collection’.
Affiliations
KCA is proud to be affiliated with the following institutions:
Christie's, Mumbai
Sonia Kriplani, Dubai
NuGa Arthouse, London
"Christies is honoured to be associated with KCA. Under the guidance and leadership of Urmila Kanoria, KCA has provided a much needed platform for young artists over the last 30 years. An integral part of contemporary art in India, KCA continues to provide crucial support to the next generation of artists and I am sure many more artists will benefit from this important institution in the years to come".
Sonal Singh, Head of Department, Christie's