The aim of Chitrakala Parishath (CKP) in Bangalore is to develop artistic skills in students and prepare them for the real world. Prof MS Nanjunda Rao founded the college and Chitrakala Parishath started offering courses from 1964. In the early days, Chitrakala Parishath was popularly known as Chitrakala Vidyalaya.
Courses offered
With the reputation of being one of the most prominent and oldest colleges for visual arts in India, CKP which is spread across 4.25 acres, offers bachelor-level courses in visual arts (BVA) and master’s in visual arts (MVA). You can specialise in painting, sculpture, graphic arts, applied arts and art history. The minimum eligibility to apply is pre-university or equivalent. Students should have an aptitude for visual arts. The admission procedure will take place during April-June every year. Admission/ selection process will be completed by the first week of July.
Each department has its own studio. It is designed in accordance with the students’ working style. According to RH Kulkarni, principal of CKP, demand for arts students is increasing as they are sought after by IT companies, designing firms and the film industry.
In 1964, the college offered only a certificate course, which later developed into a diploma in the 1970s. In 1983, students could take up degree courses and the master’s course was added in 1990. This made CKP the first college in Karnataka to start a master’s programme in visual arts. In 2005, the college became affiliated to Bangalore University. CKP also offers workshops, which are conducted by the college’s alumni. “This enables better learning. We also take students for industrial visits, educational trips and inter-college competitions. This exposes them to the practical aspect of the field,” says Kulkarni.
Infrastructure
Stocked with over 11,000 books, CKP’s library is a warehouse of knowledge and also has a collection of documentaries and magazines. “Every year, we spend `3 lakh on equipping our library with the latest books. The library is also famous for its outstanding collection of visual art. Along with this, each department has well-equipped studios. Of the 21 faculty members at CKP, three are doctorate degree-holders,” says Kulkarni. CKP also boasts of its own museum and gallery consisting of historic paintings, around 3,000 leather puppets, folk paintings, traditional paintings and modern Indian art. “We have Mysore paintings that are more than 200 years old,” Kulkarni says. Fee for students from Karnataka is `19,000 pa and other states is Rs 25,000. NRI students pay `29,000 pa.
Krishna Rajendra Kumar, teaches painting at CKP. He says, “I have been teaching painting since 1991. Students develop confidence, determination and skills during their college days by learning and practicing. This is the right place for that. Sometimes student aren’t aware of their own talent until it is recognised by themselves or by faculty.”
Student life
Mallikarjun, a third-year student from north Karnataka had dreams of becoming an artist since he was 14, and is living this dream at CKP. A regular participant at ‘Chitra Santhe’, the annual artists festival where students and other participants from all over the country display their paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, porcelain models, Mallikarjun is looking forward to showcase his oil paintings in the next santhe. “Passion towards art made me come here. I want to become an arts teacher and this is the field where an artist can sketch their dreams and play it up with colours,” says Bharathi BM, a second-year student who is interested in applied art.
Placements
The institute also organises the Annual Graduate Show, where all final-year students exhibit their work for 10 days. “The show provides a platform for students to directly interact with industrialists and prospective employers,” says the principal.
Active alumni
Many students from the college are associated with films and advertisements. Shashank K, director of Krishnan Love Story , a hit Kannada movie (2010) is an alumnus, like Roma Asrani, a popular actor in the Malayalam film industry.
Visit www.karnatakachitrakalaparishath.com/parishath/index.html for more details.
— sanjanam698@gmail.com