Art connoisseur and jeweller Ajit Gadgil, founder of PN Gadgil and Sons has launched their most anticipated exhibition of modern and medieval art and craft works with Zapurza Museum of Art and Culture. The name has been coined from one of the works by Marathi poet Krishnaji Keshav Damle, and means the state of mind in which sublime creative works happen. Inaugurated on May 19, the museum is located near the peacock bay of National Defense Academy, Pune, and was open for public viewing from the next day. A passionate art collector, Gadgil had created 8 art galleries across showrooms for the inventive upliftment of budding artists. The result is this cultural haven comprising jewellery over two centuries old, artworks by legendary Maharashtrian artists ranging from Mughal era, Thanjavur’s exclusive techniques and rare artefacts. Besides permanent and rotating exhibitions, there will be a platform dedicated for promotion of gifted Maharashtrian artists.

The museum will also involve workshops for children’s education of fine arts, for which tie-ups with various artists and other museums are forthcoming. To give a fillip to art within and beyond jewellery, Gadgil is also conducting India’s first textile art biennale at Zapurza.