Artistic impressions

In the midst of the dull, dusty, congested city, Bengalureans might have seen façades of colour popping up at various streets, and currently – metro stations.

Making a pleasant comeback of sorts with  street festivals and installations, a number of local artistes are doing their best to instill art in the younger generation. We talk to a few local artistes about the current art scene in the city, what they are doing to generate more interest in the field, and more…

For Priyankaa Gupta Agarwal, the founder of Studio Chhavi, art came naturally. The artist who has displayed her work across the globe in galleries in from San Francisco and Singapore to Bengaluru, opines, “I used to believe that corporate jobs were the way to go because of the stability they offered, until it completely broke me.” Priyankaa has since expressed herself through her colourful abstract paintings and has also started conducting innovative monoprinting, coffee and charcoal painting workshops to get youngsters involved in art. “There are so many different mediums through which people can create and explore the field of art as it is so vast!” exclaims the artist who is currently working on some artwork for her next showcase.

In a city filled with engineers, Rekha Kumari believes these engineers end up doing everything apart from engineering, which is what led her to become a part of the arts field too! “Most people have 9 to 5 jobs and it gets too monotonous which leads them to loose interest. That’s where art comes in handy – it distresses and re-energises people, especially on weekends when they don’t want to work. There needs to be an outlet for creativity as well, for a person to remain happy and satisfied,” says Rekha who teaches the art of glass etching, candle making and even gold leaf painting, among others.

While some try introducing art forms, for other’s is about introducing culture through art! Hemangini Maharaul, another local painter and artist teaches her students how to make dreamcatchers! “They are just so colourful and give out this happy vibe. I love the bohemian culture and love imparting knowledge about the culture through this form of art,” reveals the 28-year-old who comes from different cultures as well! “My parents reside in Africa and I lived there for a while which has also influenced me in my work. I feel that through art, we can learn so much about other beautiful cultures and a way to bring back what was lost. And Bengaluru is so welcoming and encouraging of artists and their works which makes everything so worth it,” says the artist in relief.