A new exhibition, titled Collectively Independent 2019, has brought together 22 of Delhi’s promising voices in the field of the arts. On display are paintings, sculptures and photographs. The show is curated by Gaurav Chawla and Ruchi Chadha of Inner Konnect Art (IKA), a group they formed in 2012 to promote lesser-known artists in the country.
“India has some very fine artists, but they don’t know how to showcase their work to a wider audience. The idea was to encourage such artists,” says Chawla, also an artist with his own paintings on display at the show. He says, “We realised that many of the excellent artists just keep on creating art but they hardly get viewers on a large scale. Our exhibitions held every year give them good visibility.”
Apart from visibility, the artists have benefitted from mingling with their own kind. “When artists who create varied artworks come together and share their viewpoints, it often results in their growth,” says Chadha, adding, “We have had informal sessions on various topics such as, how to look at an artwork, the status of art scenario in India along with poetry reading and theatre shows. All of this together is quite enriching for the artists.”
This group dynamics worked for Gurgaon-based artist Bharti Verma, a self-taught artist who got over her insecurity in the group. “See, I am not a trained artist. I am a literature grad. Initially, I was very insecure when I joined this group. I used to ask everyone in the group, do you think my artwork is worth it? Is it good enough? And so on. They eventually became my friends and I’ve learnt a lot from them. The small technical details that a formal art education course provides, I imbibed it here.”
Till: August 12
At: India Habitat Centre, Delhi