Eight paintings by the late artist Shiavax Chavda were on display at designer Frederick Anderson’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW) after-party on February 13, 2022. Comprising abstracts and semi-abstracts by the master draughtsman, the paintings "offered a fascinating introduction to the art of Chavda and evidenced an exquisite distillation of his boundless curiosity coupled with his multicultural sensitivity,” noted a press release.
From l: Frederick Anderson, Carina Chavda, Chirag Mehta and
Dr Zubin Daruwalla with Shiavax Chavda’s painting
The event was hosted by celebrity publicist and art enthusiast Anna Rothschild at the New York hotspot Veranda. "When Anna saw Chavda’s artwork, she immediately thought it would a great addition to the NYFW which is a celebration of creativity and attracts some of the most artistic personalities in the industry,” mentioned the late artist’s granddaughter Sanaya Chavda. Initially it was Sanaya’s sister Carina who had been in touch with Rothschild to discuss the possibility of exhibiting Chavda’s artworks.
Savita Apte, an independent researcher with a primary focus on art and artists from post-colonial South Asia, selected the artworks to be displayed in consultation with the family who arranged to carry those paintings from Singapore to New York. The artworks were appreciated by the attendees including American author Candace Bushnell, writer Danny Baker, photographer Ezequiel de la Rosa, Lady Liliana Cavendish, screenwriter Petra Khashoggi, among others. The artist’s family was represented by Carina and her husband Chirag Mehta as also grandson-in-law Dr Zubin Daruwalla.