BENGALURU: Going back to the past may not be possible but capturing a slice of it definitely is. That’s what Sangeetha Alwar’s Illustrated Bangalore series aims to do with digital artworks. Launched on July 1, the series is Alwar’s tribute to the city that has given her the best years so far as she attempts to document digital memories of the times before the pandemic. So far, Alwar has posted three artworks: A wide-grinned flower seller at KR Market, a waiter with the infamous stack of dosaes at Vidyarthi Bhavan (which the eatery also acknowledged and shared on their own social media profiles) and the owner of Blossom Book House.
“It’s not a series about nostalgia but one about change. I wanted to physicalise this sense of missing and capture how things have changed in the city. I don’t know if things will ever go back to the way they were or if I’ll get to see full faces again,” says Alwar, who besides being a freelance artiste is also a professor of English at Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media.
Currently in Mysuru with her family, the 27-year-old is yearning to get back to the city again. In a way, this series is helping her reimagine herself in Bengaluru. The ongoing project will have at least 10-15 artworks in total, each coming out every three days or so. Next in line are Christ (Deemed to be University), where Alwar completed her Masters; Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Church Street, and Namma Metro, to name a few. “But it isn’t just going to be the place alone. This series is also about the people who make it special. For example, the one on the Indian Coffee House will feature the server with a distinguished moustache, Bookworm will feature the owner, and so on,” she says.
What sparked this idea was a photo Alwar saw of the flower seller at KR Market, clicked by her friend Vikas Badiger. The market holds a special place in her heart - it was the spot she went to on a day she played hooky from college. “Most of my travel back then was limited to going to and fro from college and I felt like I wasn’t getting a feel of the city. So, I boarded a bus and went on a solo adventure to KR Market. It wasn’t a life-changing experience but it was moving and the memory has been vivid ever since,” says Alwar. Having grown up in different South Indian cities, she has now been living in Bengaluru for over three years. The city isn’t just home anymore but a muse as well.
An older series Alwar did took characters from Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings and placed them in contemporary Bengaluru hangouts like Koshy’s and a busy junction with vehicles. She now hopes to complete this series and put out the remaining three pieces post the completion of her Illustrated Bangalore artworks. “I started illustrating after moving to Bengaluru. This city has given me a lot, so it’s only natural it is a part of my works,” she says. To check out the artworks, visit @ms.alwar on Instagram