THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Gouthami M G and Amiya Jemeemah Hisham, two friends with a love for art, turned a simple dream into reality by setting up a cozy art studio and gallery in the middle of the city. What started as a casual thought - imagining a space where they could sit and create art - quickly became a warm, inviting haven within just three months of its inception.
Gouthami, a 27-year-old exhibition designer, and Amiya, a 30-year-old architect with a background in film studies, met while collaborating on a curation project. Soon, they opened Bottega, an art studio and gallery. The Italian word Bottega means a studio or workshop of a major artist, where other artists may also work from.
“It started as a small studio, but having travelled around the world and experienced many cultures, we began to think about the challenges in the art scene in the city. Art is not easily accessible here. Though there are many talented local artists, there are not many places for them to showcase their work. Seeing this gap, and with our background in curation, we decided to open a studio with a gallery space to feature local artists,” says Gouthami.
Their first exhibition, ‘Nokkatte Nokkikotte’, started as a social experiment. They decided to feature sketchbooks of three artists and invite visitors to contribute their own sketchbooks to the library.
“We were surprised by how many people showed up. It boosted our confidence. It also showed the need for a space like this. There are a few galleries in the city, but not many are dynamic. We wanted to create a place that feels alive, where different events and activities can happen, and where people can experience art in different ways,” Goutami explains.
Exhibitions are just one part of what they do. Alongside, they also offer workshops. The idea began with a watercolour workshop, followed by collage-making, a Giacometti sculpture workshop, gesture drawing sessions, upcycling, printmaking, and linocut printing.
Currently, they are hosting a pottery workshop every Saturday. Another ongoing activity is movie screenings. Bottega also hosts film study series organised by Dying Art Collective. Most exhibitions and film screenings here are free.
“In places like Kochi, there are cultural spaces, and in cities abroad, there’s an art culture even in the streets. When we asked about the need for art, an artist from our first exhibition shared something that stuck with us. He said that people who appreciate art are ready to accept experimental ideas. This willingness to learn and appreciate is why I believe an art space is needed here.”
Bottega is conceived as an artist-led studio and gallery. And the duo hope to encourage more such spaces to open. “This will help diminish the stigma of art as ‘extracurricular’ or that art can be understood only by a few,” Amiya smiles.