Art with a message
HYDERABAD : ‘Art is a medium of expression’ is something we have known for centuries. It is such as powerful medium that it can cut through the most layered societies to drive home a point. Here are some Hyderabadis who have been taking the medium to another level to put out a message or create awareness about various issues. Letting their imagination go wild, for them, a wall is a canvas, a street a stage and a junked cardboard box a storyteller. Sri Jahnavi brings their stories
Bringing a twist to tradition
The duo together started an Instagram page, @nriticallyyours, and its sole purpose is to make the language of Bharatanatyam accessible to all. They want to introduce narratives which revolve around the issues of social justice, solidarity and assertion of the oppressed, and critique the oppressor castes. “We want to engage with the language of the dance and see if we can do something new with the art form,” says Vaishnavi. The other reason for the duo to break out on Instagram was the fact that Bharatanatyam was being limited to an ‘elite’ audience. An audience, as people would say, has a “sense and taste of true art”. This dilemma made Vaishnavi and Shwetha think critically about their engagement with the dance form. They started making short videos on issues such as social justice in different spaces, which otherwise would not be considered a ‘traditional’ practice or performance in Bharatanatyam. And, Instagrammers simply love them. “But there are many who are uncomfortable with the fact that we were critiquing the art form. We had expected this. Our idea is to keep engaging,” says Vaishnavi. The duo has realised how important it is to dig beyond what is taught to them.
– Vaishnavi Suma and Shwetha Gopal Krishnan, classical dancers (Instagram:@nriticallyyours)
The Writing on the wall
Through several government projects in Telangana, Vinay has taken his talent and the idea of projecting a serious message to the next level. He and his team recently completed a project wherein he was required to cover a large area of a wall near the RGIA with his street art. They chose ‘masks’ as the theme and did an outstanding job. Ordinary folk, such as a vegetable vendor, a schoolgirl and others, were their subjects. The graffiti has been turning heads and effectively conveying the necessity of wearing masks during the pandemic. He and his team are delighted with the positive feedback they received as many, including VIPs, shared it on social media. “I have been working on such projects for years. Swachh Bharat was another massive project I worked on,” he says. Vinay’s street art has covered many large sections of the city and State, depicting various messages that the society needs to hear. “Ninety per cent of our arts are message-oriented,” he says proudly.
– Vinay Cheguri, street artist
Powerful stories in a box
Vidhi has picked a unique art form to communicate her thoughts and messages to the public: Shadow Box. She cuts papers into a desired shape, arranges them in order and glues them into a box. She adds some background light to create shadows, which gives the impression of a digital illustration or painting. Concerned with the current situation, Vidhi used her talent to communicate create awareness about the sacrifices healthcare workers have been making on a daily basis. She titled her series ‘To Pay My Dues’. “It is my way of thanking the frontline workers. I decided to raise public consciousness about the global effects of the pandemic through this artwork,” she says. However, she was dissatisfied with the response she received as many misunderstood her art form for a digital illustration or a painting. “Many told me that it was such a simple thing to do. But it is actually quite difficult. I had to justify my art form to the people as most of them were unaware of it,” she says. But Vidhi has not lost heart, she believes in her art.
– Vidhi Jain, Arts student
Cropping and trimming like he means it
Sky is the limit for Aryan’s imagination. The student, who is interested in photo editing, has been putting all his editing expertise to use to create awareness about the importance of hand hygiene. “I got the idea when Covid cases were at an all-time high during the lockdown. People did not know what to do,” he says. Sharing some insight on netizens’ behaviour, he says: “People tend to skip informative posts because they’ve been seeing it almost everywhere and it’s the same thing every time. So, I tried posting my edits on Instagram and I received good feedback.” He urges the people to be there for each other and believe in themselves. “I’m grateful that my edits are bringing this to the attention of the people,” he says.
– Aryan Kaul, photo editor (Instagram: @aryaaann._)