Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 755 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.
The works of 200 artists were showcased at a recent exhibition in Bengaluru’s Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (KCP). Curated by artist-educator TV Tharakeshwari, the 400 artworks span a wide range of mediums and genres centred on the theme of women empowerment.
In this photo essay, we showcase more artworks along with curator and artist insights on creative journeys, resilience in the face of challenges, and event impacts. They also share advice on how art appreciation should be enhanced in society for the benefit of all.
Resilience
“Everyone makes mistakes, but a constant thirst for improvement makes it a learning,” Apurba Das tells YourStory.
“The best way of learning and moving ahead for an artist is introspection with a positive mindset. They should resolve to not give up,” she adds.
There are other challenges on the gender front as well. “I have been treated differently for being a female sculptor in the male-oriented field of sculpting,” Sonu Pujar explains.
“There was a time when I cried for making a mistake in choosing the sculpture field. It took me years of acceptance to be strong in what I do,” she adds.
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“I strongly believe that art has chosen me to serve some purpose. Our work should speak louder than words,” Pujar affirms.
Things do not often go according to plan for artists. “Even if someone has a great plan, in the end, it’s about trial and error,” Vijaylakshmi Senthilkumar observes.
“It’s good to have a plan, so you know in what direction you want to go. Knowing the direction, one can prepare for some detours,” she suggests.
“Even if a detour might feel difficult and uncomfortable, it might bring you the bliss of true creativity, a moment when everything comes together again. All art comes from trial and error,” she affirms.
The process of working on an art piece is more important to Senthikumar than the outcome. “I don’t mind failing; I don’t see failure as the opposite of success,” she explains.
“I can learn from failure; I can’t learn if I quit on myself or my art. Confidence can help artists stop worrying about how long the artwork takes, or when they will ‘make it’,” she adds.
“I don’t believe in success or failure. I think we either earn or learn in every task of life,” Swati Tiwari explains.
“Art is a beautiful process which helps me explore randomly and allows me to create those beautiful mistakes. These mistakes make way for new creativity,” she adds.
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“To succeed you must fail, so that we know from where we started and where we are going in our journey. I believe mistakes and failures are like a GPS which helps us keep track of where and how we should make our next move,” Tiwari says.
“Artists should have the confidence to showcase their artwork and be open to receiving and accepting criticism and feedback. Since artworks are personal and the artist is emotionally attached to them, it can become difficult to accept criticism in a positive way to learn and improvise for the future,” Tharakeshwari cautions.
The pandemic years were particularly tough on public art exhibitions, and drove many artists to reinvent themselves in the digital medium. “The pandemic gave me space to think and apply artistic creativity to every possible form,” she recalls.
“Teaching art to my grandchildren and observing their creativity was joyful and refreshing,” Tharakeshwari adds.
Artistic journeys
Sonu Pujar showcased two installations at the exhibition. “The puppy in the artwork titled Societal Traumas represents my inner feelings of how I will be treated in the time of menstrual cycles—alone, staying in one corner of my home,” she explains.
“We think that real peace starts at home. But in reality, many inhumane things begin here at home when observed very deeply,” she observes.
The metal trunks in her artwork titled Suppressed represent suppression of feelings, while flowers represent expressional innocence. “The colour blue always helped me come out of traumas, it helped me to heal,” she explains.
“Art is a way of living life which leads to self-realisation. Art enabled me to understand and analyse the sensitive thoughts which were held captive in the society we live in,” she explains.
Art gave her the freedom to voice out the sensitive stories in her daily experiences and travels. “The practice of art also helped me connect to my art-rich heritage roots and to the present world,” she adds.
“Nature has always been my guru in processing my thoughts toward my artworks,” she says.
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Vijaylakshmi Senthilkumar has explored a wide range of styles in photography, painting and art installations. At the exhibition, she showcased the artwork titled Vortex, made from safety pins.
“It refers to a woman’s experiences characterised by a sense of mental confusion and disorientation, often accompanied by feelings of panic,” she explains. Her artworks are priced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.
“Art is an outlet for creativity, and it’s also a way to connect with and learn from others. Art is the expression of our hearts, which could turn out to be subtle or loud. It is the best way to release and reveal one’s emotions,” Senthilkumar explains.
“Art teaches us about ourselves as people and as part of society—what we value, how we want to be seen by others and ourselves, and what we think is important in our lives,” she affirms.
She started art in her school years and decided to pursue art as her career. “Art has defined my life and my personality,” she says.
“Success for an artist is continued growth; it means continually expanding one’s horizons. For me, success means staying true to my values and staying curious,” Senthilkumar adds.
Events and appreciation
Das says she is very humbled that her artworks were selected for such a good cause, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. “The festival was a very good opportunity to connect with fellow artists, share thoughts, learn, and appreciate each other,” she says.
“My experience at the festival was amazing. There were so many brilliant works displayed and they were very well curated. The audience liked my works and I got appreciation from many eminent artists,” Tiwari says.
“These kinds of events provide a very good platform for artists, especially women artists, to showcase their talent,” she affirms.
Pujar says she got many new ideas at the exhibition about the usage of materials. “I also got strong feedback about concept building and displaying,” she adds.
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Senthilkumar says it was easy for audiences to connect to her work. “I even saw people coming out of the gallery with tears in their eyes as they could relate to it with so much clarity,” she recalls.
Curator Tharakeshwari has a long list of favourite art festivals and museums around the world. These include Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Indian Art Fair, India Art Festival, and World Art Dubai.
Among her favourite museums and art venues are the Art Centre (Dubai), Louvre Museum (Abu Dhabi), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Contemporary Art Museum (Chicago), Asian Museum (San Francisco), and Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, New York).
“I love the conception of each of these and the delight to see all the international artists work on one platform,” Tharakeshwari adds.
Art appreciation
The artists also call for greater appreciation of art in society. “Awareness about visual art and visual language should be made a part of the school curriculum,” Tiwari advises.
“Artists should work on concepts and themes that have deeper spiritual or artistic elements that are relevant to human evolution, rather than just a piece of decoration. More research and content about art should percolate in society,” she adds.
“When people understand the fact that art improves our problem-solving ability and creativity, and see it as an essential part of life, then art appreciation will improve,” Apurba says.
Pujar calls for more curatorial support for young and upcoming artists. “Art should not be limited only to galleries, but also shown in spaces where people of all walks of life can experience it,” she urges.
“By analysing and putting ourselves in the mind of the artist, we can better study how differently they thought and what we understood. Art appreciation stimulates deeper thought and analysis,” Senthilkumar observes.
Teaching art appreciation broadens students’ mindsets in relation to the artist and their world, and also to the world of other students. “The subjective nature of art is ripe for encouraging discussion about varying interpretations, which requires one to listen to different perspectives,” she adds.
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The artists also offer tips and advice for aspiring creators. “Art calls for a lot of thought process, research and exploration. Never give up on the journey of art making, no matter how difficult and how different it may be,” Pujar advises.
“Be strong and genuine, and believe in yourself. Always think that art has chosen you. Be grateful for what you have. Never make art just to impress someone, live your life along with art,” she adds.
“Focus on what you know is working. Allow time for your process to unwind. Let go of all the confusion and have an unwavering belief in yourself as an artist so that you make art that matters to you,” Senthilkumar signs off.
Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at the exhibition.)
Edited by Kanishk Singh
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