The open courtyard of La Vie En Rose - FashArt Cafe & Fashion Studio at Saket was abuzz with excited chatter of visitors as a number of artists set up stalls at the Art Curry on Sunday afternoon.
The pop-up organised by Art, Tea and What Not—an online art community by college friends Shruti Wadhwa and Vanshika Camma—presented a host of innovative products by 25 artists.
Art, Tea and What Not started as a platform where Wadhwa, a mix media artist, and Camma, a crochet artist, could upload their artworks and craft. However, they soon realised that they could use this channel to make art and artists more accessible to others.
“For years, we have seen how difficult it is for an artist to put their work out there and reach out to the audience. That is how Art Curry came into the picture. We wanted to conceptualise an event that was aesthetically pleasing to us as well as can help the artists in the city,” shared Wadhwa.
Speaking about the name of this event, she added, “The masala box in an Indian kitchen is filled with a number of spices; each one unique, while at the same time equally important to make a typical Indian curry. It is the same with the artists. All of them are unique in their own way, but together they make up what Art Curry is.”
Diverse options
The pop-up featured a rich melange of artists, working across a range of genres. Jaidev Tripathy—an urban sketcher from Gurugram who was at the event—chronicles deserted spaces in the city through his art. “There used to be a complete change in the vibe of my college after 5pm, once everyone left. That got me interested in this,” he shared.
Ghaziabad’s Ayushi Singhal aka nazarbuttu, a design artist, launched her newest zine—it is about India’s thrift culture—in collaboration Curated Findings, a Govindpuri-based thrift store. As a sustainable
artist, Singhal prints on waste textile paper and hand-binds every zine.
Exhibiting paintings on wood, stickers, illustrated pins, and handmade clay earrings was graphic designer Ipshita Roy from Janakpuri.
“The fact that most of the brands and artists here are sustainable really stood out for me. The pop-up becomes our way of doing something for the environment,” said Roy.
A treat for all
Although primarily an art market, Art Curry showcased something for everyone. The event also hosted 10 musicians who performed their sets at an open mic on Sunday evening. Mehr Khurmi, an alternative and indie musician from Safdarjung Enclave, performed a mix of English classics and contemporary pop.
“Live music is usually left out at events such as this. To have a bunch of musicians do their sets at an art exhibition is a wonderful idea. It raises the whole event up to another level,” Khurmi added.
With an array of unique options, this event also brought together a number of art enthusiasts. Niveditha from Saket, who attended the event, concluded, “This is such a creative idea and I love the fact that most of them [artists] are eco-friendly. I just bought a pendant made from real flowers.”