Making Their Mark at BAMPFA reveals Bay Area collector Komal Shah’s passion for women artists.
Art is a way of life for Bay Area resident and avid collector Komal Shah (@komalshahgarg). She’s particularly thrilled about the traveling exhibit Making Their Mark at BAMPFA (through April 20, bampfa.org), which showcases trailblazing women artists of the past 80 years. Here, Shah discusses the exhibit and her journey collecting great art.
Avid Bay Area art collector Komal Shah at Making Their Mark at BAMPFA.
What inspired you to launch the Shah Garg Collection?
I began collecting after retiring early from my career in tech to care for my son. With a bit more time on my hands, I had the opportunity to engage more deeply with art and to begin collecting, and I immediately became obsessed.
The move toward focusing on women artists was, at first, a happy accident. When I began collecting, I was immediately drawn to works by women artists like Jacqueline Humphries, Laura Owens, Charline Von Heyl and Amy Sillman. As I learned more, I discovered a major disparity in the art market, and that works by women are sold for significantly less than works by men.
If I was going to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources toward collecting, I should put those resources toward something that could create change.
What do you hope audiences take away from Making Their Mark?
I want every young girl and woman who visits this show to walk away feeling empowered and valued. This show is an incredible testament to the power and talent of women, and I want these artists and these works to raise women up, build confidence and show that the possibilities for women artists and women in general are boundless.
The traveling exhibition, Making Their Mark, celebrates women artists through April 20 at BAMPFA in Berkeley.
What about on a curatorial level?
It’s so important to me that people see the incredible throughlines between the generations of artists on view. Art history is a trajectory, and we can understand more deeply if we look for the connections that run from one generation to the next.
Many of the older generation of artists on view did not receive their due while they were young, and they had to fight their whole lives to be seen. This show celebrates their achievements and how they impacted and paved the way for the subsequent generations of artists, many of whom are also included in this show.
AsMaking Their Markhas now premiered publicly, what has surprised you most about how viewers have responded to the collection?
It’s been humbling to see how awestruck people are by the show. Even though they know some of the big names they will see, nothing can prepare them for how phenomenal these works are when taken together. We had incredible crowds when the show debuted in New York and have had similar enthusiasm here in the Bay Area. It’s been fun to watch.
Making Their Mark showcases brilliants works like (from left), Tau Lewis, “Saint Mozelle in the Aphid Orgy,” (2023) and Tschabalala Self, “Sisters,” (2021).
Can you share a story behind acquiring one of the key pieces in the collection that holds special meaning to you?
The first artwork I acquired was a work on paper called “It Rained so She Rained” by Rina Banerjee (@rina.banerjee), an Indian American artist. It was for sale at an auction, and no one was bidding. I couldn’t believe it! This work is about her coming to New York from India and trying to fit in, and it resonated with me. It is so poetic and beautiful, and I immediately loved it. I asked someone to bid on it; the rest is history.
What advice would you offer aspiring collectors interested in supporting underrepresented voices in art?
The most important thing is finding artists who speak to you. While collecting as a social practice is extremely valuable, it would be impossible to do it successfully if it wasn’t fueled by a genuine passion for the works that you are collecting.
See art and ask a lot of questions. Attend gallery openings, museum shows, art fairs and biennales. It’s such a joy to discover new artists and to surround yourself with people who are excited to teach you. I’m still learning every day, and that’s the best feeling.
Photography by: COURTESY OF KOMAL SHAH
