Dipti Mathur / Courtesy photo

Dipti Mathur’s transition from a top-tier biochemist to a highly respected collector and investor in modern and contemporary South Asian art was almost accidental. Armed with a PhD from IIT Kanpur and having completed prestigious post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), her life seemed firmly rooted in the empirical world of science. Yet, the foundations for her second act had already been laid early in life.

“I grew up in a Bengali family where music, culture, and art were very much a part of my upbringing,” Mathur reflects. “I was deeply rooted—and continue to be deeply rooted—in India. I visited frequently and maintained many close friendships within the art community.”

The ultimate catalyst for her journey as art connoisseur and collector came from the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley tech. In 1998, Junglee—the innovative e-commerce startup founded and led by her husband, Rakesh Mathur—was acquired by Amazon. The landmark acquisition fundamentally shifted their financial landscape.

“There was suddenly more disposable income available,” she recollects. “But because I have a very 'geeky' mindset, I knew I had to truly study and understand art before fully diving in.” Mathur approached the art market not just with passion, but with an insatiable desire to learn. She embedded herself within specialized creative networks, studying the nuances of the market from the ground up.

“I started spending time with individuals who were genuinely immersed in the Indian art ecosystem, learning directly from their expertise. That is how my journey into the art world truly began,” she says.

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Today, that meticulous, deeply rooted approach has transformed Mathur into one of the most influential patrons of South Asian art in the diaspora, bridging the analytical precision of Silicon Valley with the rich visual heritage of India.

Mathur, who serves on the board of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and chairs the arts advisory board of the Institute of South Asia Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, feels that classical Indian art has been very collectible in the Western market largely because of the history of 200 plus years of colonisation. “Sri Lankan art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy introduced the depth of Indian art to the western world during his three decades at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He shaped the way western art institutions were looking at classical Indian art which has now  been accepted for a long time,” she says. For her, the issue is more about modern art from India where the recognition in museum circles has  been slow, considering the large body of material that is available. 

“Over time there have been important shows such as Nilima Sheikh at Chicago; the shows of Nasreen Mohamedi and Indian American artist Zarina Hashmi. The acceptance is coming slowly and even now classical Indian art is still being looked at through a neo colonial lens almost.”

Based in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, Mathur works closely with key US institutions—particularly universities and museums—to deepen their understanding of and engagement with contemporary South Asian art. 

“With the dawn of the information age and the liberalization of India in the 1990s, the landscape exploded as global Indians rose to prominence,” Mathur explains. “These forces created an environment where contemporary Indian artists could flourish. Because these artists travelled extensively, their work possessed a highly international flavour, prompting a strong response from Western museums.”

Today, the roster of globally recognized Indian artists is extensive, featuring prominent names like Subodh Gupta, Rina Kallat, Ranjani Shettar, Alwar Balasubramaniam (Bala), and Jitish Kallat. Driven by a belief in the power of visual arts to bridge cultures, Mathur paints an upbeat, optimistic picture for the future of contemporary Indian artists.

Mathur, who is on the advisory board of the Delhi based Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, now spends several months in India every year with the engagement which she finds rewarding. “It is a great privilege to work with the KNMA from its early stage since it’s at the heart of what I care about the most – the visual culture of India. It has a young and motivated team and the board is small but actively involved in various aspects of building the museum,” she says.

The Indian diaspora is playing a leading role in promoting Indian art globally, feels Mathur. The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University is championing the study of South Asian art in a transformative way, she notes. She herself chairs the institute’s arts council and serves on its executive council.

“I personally support the distinguished artist fellowship programme there, which is an initiative close to my heart,” Mathur shares. “My goal was to bring a senior art practitioner from South Asia to campus to directly engage with students and enrich the academic understanding of the region’s art. Our inaugural fellow was Nilima Sheikh—an artist whose work I deeply admire. During their residency, these artists immerse themselves in the Harvard community, hosting masterclasses, teaching, and delivering public lectures.”

This initiative reflects a broader, highly encouraging trend across American academia. Mathur points to a rising generation of scholars advancing the field, such as Dr. Sugata Ray and artist-educator Asma Kazmi at the University of California, Berkeley, alongside the widely respected Dr. Saloni Mathur at UCLA.

“The growing global interest in contemporary Indian art has fuelled a robust expansion of academic scholarship,” Mathur observes. This momentum is anchored by legendary pioneers of the field, such as Columbia University’s distinguished art historian Vidya Dehejia. Highlighting her enduring legacy, a permanent endowed chair—The Vidya Dehejia Professorship of South Asian Art—was recently established within the Department of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University.

Mathur is herself deeply involved with the prestigious Asia Society Museum in New York having served extensively on its collections committee. She has also served on the board of trustees of the Seattle Art Museum and the San Jose Museum of Art. “Through my early work at the Asia Society Museum, I got to meet Dr Vishakha Desai, who was then president of the Asia Society. I have learnt a lot from her and she continues to be a mentor.” 

In Silicon Valley, Mathur doesn’t yet see very serious support for Indian art from the wealthy Indian American community. “Among the Indian diaspora, the interest needs to move beyond trophy hunting to support from a scholarship standpoint,” she feels. But Komal Shah, a prominent art collector, who has a strong focus on women artists, stands out for Mathur. 

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