Simran Kotak - Founder
Simran Kotak, Founder of Ahāra, is a creative visionary who works alongside Chef-owner Vikramjit Roy to push the envelope on contemporary Indian dining at their newly minted restaurant in the Keong Saik Road neighborhood in Singapore.
Anchored by a strong sense of purpose from an early age, Simran’s career path has been driven by intention and passion. While studying Sociology at Delhi University, she volunteered at Naz Foundation (India) Trust, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDs and LGBTQIA+ advocacy since 1994. After graduation, she continued to work at the foundation as a counsellor for children with HIV.
Vir Kotak - Founder
Vir Kotak is a self taught, lens media based artist who lives between Singapore, Delhi and the Andaman Islands. His studio practice is a heavily process based one where he repeatedly questions the boundaries between the analogue and the digital, the fake and the real, the seen and the unseen.
Vir’s first solo exhibition, ‘The Memory Project’ was on view at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai (2017). He has since been featured as part of group exhibitions and has been part of curated projects, variously at the Kala Ghoda Festival, Mumbai (2017); Kala Sakshi Foundation Show, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (2009); and Nature Morte Summer Show, Nature Morte Gallery, New Delhi (2017). Vir works with minimal imagery to create complex, inward-looking narratives.
Poonji Nath - CEO
Poonji is an art world veteran with close ties to artists, collectors and galleries across South Asia. She worked with Vadehra Art Gallery, one of India’s leading galleries for over 13 years. She advised key clients, major private collections, and worked with important artist estates and museums. She had previously built the publishing arm of the gallery and set up the Vadehra Art Gallery Bookstore and was instrumental in setting up the FICA Reading Room.