It’s an art exhibition with a difference, as kids take the spotlight with their artwork. Here’s some insight into the Exhibition for Fine Art organised by Paint Club Goa
Ojas and Vrushank are good at clay work, drawing as well as painting. Tarini, Jade, Joushua, Asmi, Yuvraj, Manay are focused while Aditya is consistent and confident. Durva will never compromise till she gets it right. Alannah, Isha, Sakshi have a good future as artists, while Mayesha, Voughan, Avanish, Shlok, Bhumi, Purva, Satvika are too good, even at a young age and Kshitij, Sparsh and Aarush are full of creative ideas. Having gained enough confidence under the tutelage of Chaitali Morajkar, these little members of Paint Club Goa are all excited to showcase their artworks publicly.
This is the fourth exhibition held by the Paint Club Goa. A professional artist with a master’s degree in fine arts, Chaitali founded this club to conduct art classes and art workshops for children. “I do this to inculcate the habits of art, design and visual expression among young minds,” she states. Introducing children to elements and principles of art and further developing their inborn sense of design, imagination and visualisation at a young age is very important to their overall, holistic growth which aids in excelling academically, she believes.
Art is a medium for self-expression and watercolours are Chaitali’s favourite. Art has the power to connect with our soul, she expresses, “It is the taking of an internal impulse and a personal vision through self-awareness and putting it into your creation. As an artist, the process of painting has helped me to reveal myself better. Painting as a medium and a language has helped me to express my views on social issues too. Life without art will be a single tone of grey.”
A freelance artist for 15 years Chaitali has had her work displayed in the most prestigious art galleries in India and even abroad. Her own style has being creative and figurative. “The protagonist in my works has always been either women or subjects or issues pertaining to a woman. I must admit that my subject and style has changed over the years and compared to the past I now approach my work with more conceived idea,” she admits.
Chaitali’s early works were focussed around subjects like gender issues, identity crises, relationships and woman – balancing her various roles. Her paintings were mostly on canvas. It was in 2008 that she began working on a face and fish series. Faces and fishes were used as motifs or were symbolized as per the painting or the subject demanded. Over the years the artist in her went through a lot of metamorphosis. “
Now, her pupils enjoy the process of developing their art work, their own metamorphosis - the experience of making decisions and choices, solving problems, critically thinking about the art work, trying new ideas, exploring, thinking, experimenting and creating art - is a wonderful process. “My experience with the kids, over the years, has been fantastic,” agrees Chaitali. Expressing through art gives the kids a learning experience. They learn that we create art not only to represent and beautify, but it also serves as a means of understanding and sharing, and to identify who we are in our own world. Her pupils have worked in different mediums with different styles and techniques - from pencil, colour pencil, oil pastel, acrylic, collage, mix media, clay, paper-mache etc. And they enjoy every bit of it.
The theme she gave them for the exhibition was ‘Self’. Identity is represented in so many different ways. With this theme their imagination went wild. They painted their own faces on paper with different expressions - sometimes combining with their favourite landscape or cartoon character. Their ideas reflected their personality, nature and likes. “It was amusing to see them work around this theme that could extract so many ideas out of their little heads,” smiles Chaitali.
*The Exhibition of Fine Art, by children, for children, at Sanskruti Bhavan is organised by Paint Club Goa and Directorate of Art and Culture. It will be held from April 7 to 9 between 11am to 7pm
