Author: Prakash
Publication: India Today
Date: June 18, 2012
URL: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/defence-minister-wife-elizabeth-antony-paintings-for-rs.-28-crore/1/201258.html

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has purchased eight paintings of Elizabeth Antony, wife of defence minister A K Antony, for an undisclosed sum and intends to display the paintings at select airports in the country.

Two of Elizabeth's artworks already adorn the new international terminal at Thiruvananthapuram. Though she herself chose to keep mum on the price tag, sources said that the AAI paid a mind-boggling sum of Rs. 28 crore for the paintings, putting her in the league of artists such as Tyeb Mehta whose 'Celebration' became the first modern Indian artwork to fetch Rs.1.5 crore in an auction at Christie's in 2002.  Ironically, little is known about Mrs. Antony's artistic talent. 

"I would not like to disclose details of the buyers of my paintings and the amount they paid for them," Elizabeth told Mail Today. She did admit, though, that a few of her paintings were picked up by AAI, the agency which owns and runs majority of airports in the country. Elizabeth claimed that the proceeds obtained from the sale of her paintings are donated to hapless cancer patients through her NGO, Navoothan Charitable Fund. On her Facebook account, Elizabeth has posted two photographs of her donating cheques of Rs.3.5 lakh to the Cancer Society. "We are not getting any foreign aid or government funds. We are raising money for the cause by mainly selling my paintings," she added.

"Several cancer patients approach my husband seeking help for their treatment. He is not able to help everybody, so I decided do something for them." If treated in the first stage, most of the cancers are curable, she said. Elizabeth is holding a three-day exhibition of her paintings at India Habitat Centre in Delhi from November 9 and is busy completing artworks to showcase elsewhere. She said that prices of the paintings to be displayed at the exhibition were not decided yet. "The prices are fixed after consulting experts," she said.