Young India Fellows host Art Exhibition at Ashoka University

On the 23rd of September, the YIF batch of 2017 put up an exhibition titled ‘Rang Amezi’ which means painting in Persian. It was an amalgamation of a very diverse set of paintings by 103 students from different backgrounds, who held very different relations to art- ranging from a few who are well-trained in art to the majority who were holding brushes for the first time in years.

The exhibition was held as the culmination of a course called ‘Art Appreciation’ by Prof. Anunaya Chaubey and it exposed fellows to the history and evolution of art.

Fellows explored avant-garde movements and artists through this course and quite naturally many tried to copy their favourites. Many however, as untrained artists, found that they accidentally or spontaneously created an Impressionist piece or a Baroque painting. During the course of the exhibition, the artists enjoyed discussing their work and receiving both appreciation and constructive criticism, ultimately it was their personal journey with the painting that was their biggest takeaway.

A few fellows shared their experiences of organising an attending the art exhibition with us :

“I think it was a beautiful experience because novices, people who had never appreciated art before started realising the value that a visual image has and the stories it tells us. It was a beautiful curation of ideas and experiences.”   

– Milloni Doshi, Curator, Young India Fellow, Batch of 2017

“The best part of the course was that it turned me from a student to an artist and then to a curator, that too in 6 weeks!”

– Saumya Agarwal, Curator, Young India Fellow, Batch of 2017     

“For a person who has never held a brush before, having myself open up to the colours of the canvases and helping people curate the entire event was a totally enthralling experience.”

– Priyadarshini, Curator, Young India Fellow, Batch of 2017     

“Every canvas spoke to me. They told me stories I will remember for the rest of my life.”   

 – Purva Raghunath, Curator, Young India Fellow, Batch of 2017      

“It was absolutely startling to see art transcending boundaries and understanding to become an inherent part of everyone present at the exhibition- those exhibiting and those engaging with the works. Warmest love to the batch of 2017 for embarking on this tumultuous journey of art rather brilliantly.”

  – Pia Bakshi, Young India Fellow, Batch of 2016