Loneliness is a long way from home. It was in art that Delhi’s small Russian community, mostly women who have settled down here, escaped the isolation of the knockdown. A freelance photographer focussed on travelling virtually |and meeting people online to create digital projects. A painter used the medium of the canvas to present her pandemic anxiety.
Hand embroidery soothed the anxiety of another emigre. All these outpourings coalesced into an exhibition titled, Just People, at the India International Centre, Delhi an initiative by the Russian socio-cultural development centre Atlas which exclusively exhibits works created by expats. Each participant is a non-professional artist who explored creative mediums while stuck in Delhi during the lockdown.
Atlas founder Ekaterina Semenushkova sensed the anxiety of the pandemic seeping into her own art a painting titled ‘Unknown’. Soon, conversations with fellow members led her to realise that many of them took to art as therapy during the difficult months of 2020. The result was Just People, now a conversation starter. Semenushkova says, “It was amazing to discover that without any professional training, people can create masterpieces. We do not realise that artists are just people who live, work and practice their hobbies. This is why I named our exhibition Just People.”
The artworks include watercolours of every day objects, intricate thread embroidery portraits, sculptures, photographs and more, all inspired by India, as well as intangible objects including poems and music.
Russian freelance photographer Natalia Verma sees art as a remedy for inner wellbeing. But to practice photography, one has to step out. Unable to venture outdoors during the lockdown, Verma travelled virtually, met people online and created digital projects. Though Verma managed to innovate, photography was largely restricted during the past year.
But painting and embroidery were not. Textile designer Liza Dwivedi, originally from Ukraine is the founder of Golka Gallery—an embroidery studio that trains and employs underprivileged Indian girls. As the virus raged through the world, she turned to hand embroidery as a daily act of mindfulness that she believes kept her grounded during the chaos. “Hand embroidery holds a special place in my heart. I have turned to it in my darkest times, growing calmer with each stitch. Watching and feeling the threads and strands lock together is satisfying beyond measure,” Dwivedi elaborates.
Heavily inspired by India, Dwivedi credits the success of her art to the country’s rich culture, traditions and the distinctive regional styles. Ukrainian photographer and graphic designer Liudmyla Glashchenko, and Mila Mazanova, Quality Control Head of Russian brand Snow Queen also attribute India’s rich artistic legacy as the inspiration behind their craft. Mazanova admits, “I used to paint when I was younger. When I came to India, I was inspired to start all over again. Painting is meditation to me.” Just People speaks for them all.
(Proceeds from sales of the artworks at the exhibition will go to the Main Tendue charity, working to uplift underprivileged communities in Delhi.)