BENGALURU: At a time when social circles are shrinking rapidly, many young people have started looking for ways to reconnect with themselves and others. With all of us living in an age of constant noise, whether it’s on social media or otherwise, one can see a quiet resurgence of hobbies and art forms like making puzzles, origami, and self-publishing zines taking root in the city.
While the catalyst of such revival was the pandemic and the lockdown, people in the city are still taking time out to rediscover these art forms. “It was the pandemic that made me think long and hard about my next steps as an illustrator, making me yearn for something beyond our screens and often self-imposed harsh deadlines.
I spent hours looking for things that I could engage with online before I came across adult puzzles,” says Surabhi Banerjee, a young illustrator in the city who has created a collection of 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles depicting densely populated spaces with rich cultural backdrops. Banerjee says that the puzzles helped her manage her anxiety during rough times. “It was almost impossible to worry about anything else when I was lost in a puzzle,” she adds.
Sharon Sigamani, founder of Piece Up, a brand that creates puzzles for adults, also found solace in making puzzles with her aunt during the lockdown. “I want to encourage working people to get back into puzzles because it gives you a sense of accomplishment in this very busy world. When you put that last piece of the puzzle, you get a sense of achievement even if you are having a bad day,” she says, adding that there’s been a definite shift towards hobbies where one can spend time with oneself or others in peace. “Everyone is looking to find an escape in this fast-paced hustle culture world. There is a certain sense of urgency all the time. So a lot of young people are turning to activities like puzzles and board games,” Sigamani adds.
When it comes to art forms that can help you escape the daily hustle of life, origami, the age-old Japanese art form of folding paper to create different things, has also seen a resurgence. “People sharing their origami work with the world on social media has encouraged a lot of origami enthusiasts to showcase their work. I have seen a significant increase in interest in origami as an art in the last five years,” says Nikhil S, an origami artist who has been practising for more than 15 years. He further adds, “Each fold takes its own time to complete and one cannot rush through it. Over time, you ensure to slow down taking one step at a time, take time to appreciate each fold and thus it inherently provides one the time to de-stress.”
Another medium that has seen a rise when it comes to artistic expression is self-publishing zines. “What I also see is that it’s slowly taking a rise in Bengaluru because there has been a culture of zine making in Mumbai, but I can see Bengaluru picking up the pace. My workshops get people from the 19-30 age group,” says 29-year-old illustrator Neha Shetty, who conducts zine workshops in the city. Renuka Rajiv, another zine artist in the city, says that the low production cost is also one of the reasons for the growing popularity. “It’s just incredibly accessible and that means anyone can take it and make it their own in the manner they find appropriate or interesting. I love how little it takes to make a zine,” she adds.