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Where work and play go together

Madhur Tankha

CHILD'S PLAY: "The New Toy" by Arpana Caur

NEW DELHI: Aimed at encouraging the appreciation of fine arts among children, Leap Years, a unique after-school multi-activity centre, has organised a unique art exhibition at 23 Green Avenue in Vasant Kunj here.

Titled "Leap Years: Dreaming Childhood", the exhibition features paintings, sculptures, installations and photographs. These works have been created by over two-dozen accomplished artists who are either on the faculty of Leap Years or have been associated with designing the unique curriculum when the Leap Years Centre was first launched in 2004.

Seven artists including Arun Kumar H.G., Bulbul Sharma, Kanchan Chander, Sanjay Sharma and Veer Munshi along with young students pursuing art courses have come together to create a mural on the theme of childhood.

The "Leap Years: Dreaming Childhood" exhibition brings together many of the artists on the theme "Retrieving their own Childhood". The group includes works of leading artists like Jatin Das, Bulbul Sharma, Arpana Caur, Veer Munshi, Amitava Das and Vibha Galhotra.

Amit Jain's portraits stem from his experience as a photographer after the Gujarat riots and showcase the childhood that all children deserve, while Amitava Das's painting titled "The Mythical Bird" narrates a traumatic childhood incident of trying to capture a bird and killing it in that process.

Arpana Caur's painting "Dreams" deals with childhood fairies and beautiful dreams, while Atul Bhalla also relives happy memories in his photograph "Yamuna Morning". Bulbul Sharma's paintings recall images of a childhood spent in a forest in Madhya Pradesh while Gigi Scaria's painting "Sand Castle" takes us back to the carefree childhood days. Mithu Sen's "Hide and Seek" painting tries to showcase the hidden meaning in a child's innocence and playfulness while Prashanta Mukherjee has made his "Lal Lal Haathi" painting to portray both fantasy and reality. Leap Years began three years ago as a neighbourhood creative activity point for children aged between four and 14 years with the idea that children should have access to a wide range of creative activities and opportunities to excel in their chosen field. In order to make this possible, a number of artists planned the space where children come to act, paint, sing, dance and engage in a range of activities that would not only allow them to discover their creative selves but also give them a chance to spend time with other children in a safe, secure and inviting environment.

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