The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Chitra Santhe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 31, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chitra Santhe — a welcome change for a Sunday

Staff Reporter

Artists from across the country displayed their works

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

WALKER’S HAVEN: Fare at the art exhibition on Kumara Krupa Road in Bangalore on Sunday.

BANGALORE: At a time when all buying and selling is mechanical and restricted to malls and big stores, Sunday was a refreshing change from routine for those who visited Chitra Santhe on Kumara Krupa Road.

Artists from across the country displayed their works and indulged people who plied them with questions about their art and bargained to buy their wares. The entire stretch from Windsor Manor to Sivananda Circle was out of bounds for traffic, transforming the tree-lined avenue into a walker’s haven.

Many, fascinated with all the colours and creativity before them, were seen busy clicking photos. “It is fantastic to have all this before me and I am taking photos because I cannot possibly buy all of them,” said a young girl before hurrying away to add more pictures to her kitty.

About 1,700 artists spread out their art on pavements around Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat and inside the campus, in the fifth edition of Chitra Santhe.

“This is the highest number of entries we have had since the inception of this cultural event. Last year, about 1,200 artists participated. This time, we had people from as far away as Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Orissa,” said Babu Jattakar, convenor of the santhe.

Arul David, a fine arts graduate from Kumbakonam, came to the city at 4 a.m. and will leave by the 7 p.m. bus. “This is my second visit to the santhe. I like coming here because I do not have to pay for a stall; plus there is free food,” he winked with a smile.

For Irudhayanathan T. from Villipuram, the santhe provides an opportunity to learn about new trends in art and to gain recognition. Pointing to a portrait of a woman, he says, “I would not sell it for less than Rs. 5,000 back home. But here I cannot sell it for more than Rs. 3,000.”

The santhe was launched to offer a platform for budding artists and for those who are not able to hold exhibitions at a gallery. Uma Sahai from Lucknow said she was encouraged by her daughter to exhibit her works at the santhe. “This is the first time I am showing off my paintings. I think I can move onto galleries some time,” she said.

Bringing art to the common public was also one of the objectives of the event.

“It is so nice to be able to interact with the artists. I love this atmosphere,” gushes Dravida Seetharam, who works for a software firm, and has been visiting the santhe for the past three years.

Carrying tribal art paintings, Leon Chen from the United States said, “I am really enjoying this whole market-like feeling. I have never been here before but my wife wanted to come here so we strolled down from our hotel.”

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