Saturday 20 Apr 2024

Discovering young contemporary artists from the hinterland of India

| JUNE 16, 2019, 02:18 AM IST

#TG Life


Abir Charitable Trust announced the commencement of the fourth edition of its annual ‘First Take’ art event at Hutheesing Visual Art Centre. Supported by Claris this year, First Take 2019 invites entries from artists across India, including from smaller towns and rural settings. The submitted work will be shortlisted and judged by eminent jury comprising of Umang Hutheesing, Subodh Kerkar, Brinda Miller, Jayanti Rabadia and Veer Munshi. To culminate the event, a felicitation ceremony will take place on November 19, followed by the inauguration of the art exhibition.

Online submission of artwork for First Take will be open from June 6-July 16, while the last date for submission of physical artwork will be on September 6. After the initial round of submission, the entries will then be reviewed, shortlisted and judged by jury members over the period of few days. 

The best of the artworks will be exhibited for 7 days, while as many as 10 artists, representing various categories, will be felicitated at a special award ceremony.

Speaking about the event Ruby Jagrut, founder trustee of ABIR Charitable Trust, said, “Abir is a canvas for artists and art connoisseurs, coming together to celebrate colours. It is a community initiative around celebrating art through people who make art and those who love art. Our endeavour at Abir is to handhold the young artists, bridging the gap between their beautiful art and the people who appreciate art. The last three editions have been extremely fulfilling with more and more participants from remote areas of our country sending their work to be judged and displayed. We shall continue to strive and reach out to more and more young artist and give their art a voice that can reach out to their target audience.”

Ahmedabad, a heritage city, is known for its love and appreciation for both traditional and contemporary art. Abir First Take takes this forward by providing a much-needed platform for young artists from the hinterland of India to showcase their art, installation and sculpture.  

Elaborating on the importance of supporting young artists through corporate collaborations, Arjun Handa, VC and MD, Claris, said, “As an art enthusiast, I have observed over the years that the contemporary art landscape in India is quite evolved and diverse. There’s huge amount of talent in every corner of our country, which is immensely creative. However, it is yet to reach its full potential due to paucity of relevant platforms and opportunities. Through Abir First Take, my aim is to support and encourage these artists in a more wholesome and sustainable way. I am glad to be a part of this endeavour that brings together artists from all over India and gives them greater visibility. Also, I think it’s important for all of us; with an inclination for art; to set up a collaborative framework for promoting the talent present across the country in a more expansive manner.”

Abir First Take was conceptualized in 2016 and held it very first art competition and event the same year. This was followed by First Take 2017. Last year, First Take 2018, witnessed around 2000 entries, out of which 106 were shortlisted and 10 artists were felicitated.

Interested participants can visit the following website to learn more about the submission process: http://www.abirindia.org/index. For further information, contact 9930094873 or 8291454147

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