Indira, owner, curator and co-founder of Trias Gallery told me her interest in starting a gallery began with respect for artists. She was a painter herself – and so began my time with Indira on a warm weekday afternoon when I entered to learn more about her world. I don’t know why but in recent times the word story has seemed to have taken on a negative connotation. If something is called a story or one is asked “So, what’s your story?” We assume what we’ll receive in return is a fabrication. My time with Indira proved to me stories can still be truthful and beautiful. At Trias, with Indira’s voice providing an audio backdrop to the visuals at play in the gallery I found the experience to be an unexpected depth of engaging, enticing and exciting stories, about the artists’ real lives and the creative spirit they inject into our worlds.
After 15 years in Toronto, Trias Gallery moved to Oakville just last Fall (2013). Enjoying the vibrant community of the ‘Art at 80’ building at the corner of King and Spadina for many years, the gallery is now in a stunning waterfront location in Bronte Village. The name ‘Trias’ is derived from the Greek number for three, representing the relationship between the artist, the dealer, and the collector.
Trias Gallery started as a partnership between Indira Roy Choudhury and Doris Gillick. Indira holds a Honours Art & Art History Degree from University of Toronto (1991) and an Education Degree from Queen’s (1994). She has lived in Bronte for the last (20) years. In 2006, Doris decided to retire, moving away from Toronto and still remains very supportive of the gallery and the two stay in contact.
Artist: Victor Mitic
Indira has continued the work of the gallery and developed a reputation for professionalism, trust, and integrity. The gallery mirrors these ideals with its membership with the Art Dealers Association of Canada. This is important to Indira as membership requires adherence to a strict code of conduct which holds her reputation in high esteem while protecting the rights of all artists.
Once we got all the facts out of the way the stories, the truthful and touching stories began.
“Art is for everybody” she began. Whether you are a buyer or just a lover of art, it’s for you. “Seeing art in an art gallery doesn’t have to do with buying, it’s the seeing that is the important dialogue.” Indira taught me that afternoon that art is the way an artist engages the viewer in a dialogue, a conversation, that artists are looking for a connection through their art. I think I get that. If you were walking down the street and someone looked you in the eye and said “Hello, can you help me?” Would you ignore them? Likely, not. Artists are doing the same thing. Their art, hanging on the wall of a gallery is looking you in the eye saying “Let’s talk.” Will you ignore them now? It was a profound understanding for me. I came home that evening and did online searches for all the famous painter’s I’ve admired, whose work I’d seen at exhibitions and saw those pieces of art in another way. No wonder they captured me. Each piece of art was reaching you to say “hello.” I realized how true Indira’s words were. I was engaged in a dialogue with the art. How divine.
— Interview with Romana Mirza July 14, 2014