KUALA LUMPUR: Brahmal Vasudevan, the founder of Southeast Asia private equity firm Creador, and lawyer Shanthi Kandiah have made a significant contribution to Princeton University that aims to profile South Asian art and catapult global appreciation for the genre.
The Princeton Board of Trustees announced a new professorship, the Vidya Dehejia Professorship of South Asian Art on Sept 22.
The contribution was made via the couple’s Alaka Holdings Trust, which supports philanthropic efforts in three main areas, namely education, healthcare and humanitarian relief and arts and culture.
Detailing the reasons behind the contribution, Brahmal said while he and Shanti are Malaysians at heart, they have lived in Singapore, London, Boston, Palo Alto and New Delhi.
“But we found that it was difficult to appreciate Indian art when you live in cities outside of India. With India increasingly becoming an important part of the global ecosystem, we believe more people will want to understand the rich and varied culture of that huge country.”
After visiting the Chola exhibition in London and rediscovering their passion for South Asian art while living in New Delhi, the couple read many of Vidya Dehejia’s books on Indian art and admired her subsequent projects and lectures.
Vidya is the Barbara Stoler Miller Professor Emeritus of Indian Art at Columbia University and was previously the university’s South Asia Institute director.
She is the author of a catalogue on Chola Tamil bronzes, which was part of an international exhibition “Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India,” presented by the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 2006.
Shanti said: “We were particularly impressed with how Vidya had dedicated her career to the learning and disseminating knowledge of Indian art. The study of temples and certain monuments in India is quite controlled, and Vidya was undeterred in her study of them.
“We felt it was important that her work be cemented in the academic world.”
She said the perfect way to achieve this is to partner with a prestigious university on a professorship, as a complement to a liberal arts education.
Hence, the couple’s decision centred on the idea that people should use their time in college to explore the field of study they were pursuing as well as other areas of interest.
“Princeton has an amazing reputation in liberal arts and art history, and we felt it would benefit the most from a professorship in South Asian art.
“The professorship creates a meeting point for a diverse group of talent working independently to come together to share ideas, which in turn opens doors to more cross-pollination of programmes and ideas between South Asia and the US.
“We believe the evolution of South Asian art – from its initial religious roots to the vibrant contemporary art of today – is a metaphor for the growth of South Asia.
“This professorship will not just promote a better understanding of South Asia’s history, but by giving a greater insight into the cultural and societal influences shaping the subcontinent, will enable a deeper understanding of the future,” said Brahmal.
