Students gain insight into art forms at Rajeshwari kala fest

Students learnt the nuances of various art forms organised during the four-day Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav that concluded at Apeejay College of Fine Arts on Saturday. The event also marked the golden jubilee celebrations of the college.

About 250 students learnt the nuances of various art forms in depth at the workshops that were conducted on 11 different art forms. Expressing her views about these workshops, Sushma Paul Berlia, Chairperson, Apeejay Education, said the workshops were held for people of all ages, starting from 10 years, with the motto of preserving and promoting fine arts and making them accessible to the masses.

Padma Shree awardee Vijay Sharma introduced the students to the technique of Pahari miniature painting and said that through this art form, cultural activities and festivals of the hills can be depicted. National awardee Manoj Kumar Chaudhary gave information about Madhubani painting to the students and said: “This is our traditional form of painting and we can use it on canvas as well as fabric.”

Rajendra Kumar Shyam introduced the students to Gond art and said through this, one can express folk customs and the beauty of nature that narrates a story. He added that with the changing times, contemporary topics are also being made the basis of Gond art.

Odisha’s renowned artist Purna Chandra Ghosh gave information about traditional appliqué work.

Maharashtra’s renowned artist Anil Chaitya Vangad gave information about Warli painting where he beautifully depicts village life, folk art and mythology through geometric shapes of 1,200-year-old tribal art.

Suman Pekua, a talented pottery artist from Kolkata, strives to keep India’s rich ceramic tradition alive. He taught the students the technique of creating new designs in pottery by blending the techniques and beauty of traditional and contemporary pottery.

Hirabhai Tejasibhai from Kutch, Gujarat, who is the 18th generation of Kharad weavers, gave information about Kharad weaving to the students and introduced them to the technique of making traditional woollen carpets. He told students that the designs and motifs of Kharad weaving are inspired by the desert and the usage of natural colours to dye the thread.

Rana Chandra Sahoo, a Patachitra and palm leaf engraving artist from Odisha, skilled in Patachitra engraving on both cloth and palm leaf, was one of the resource persons at these workshops. He taught the students how one can create a beautiful picture through Patachitra expressing mythological and religious stories

Shammi Lal is making every effort to keep the 250-year-old tradition of wood inlay alive in Hoshiarpur. While teaching the same art form, he shared with the students that patience and creativity are required to acquire expertise in wood inlay.

Balbir Singh, a highly experienced wood carving master craftsman, explained the rich heritage of Hoshiarpur to the students and said that one can incorporate new designs along with traditional designs in wood inlay and crafts. Aadya Jain, an alumnus of Apeejay College, introduced the students to the traditional hand block printing technique.

The students also won prizes for making the best fine art pieces. Jaskirat Kaur (MA Fine Arts) won first prize for miniature painting and a cash prize of Rs 5,000, Gurmehak Kaur (BFA Semester 8) won second prize and a cash prize of Rs 3,000 for Gond art and Aashi Sharma (B.Voc. Product Design Semester 4) for inlay work and a cash prize of Rs 2,000.

The last day of the golden jubilee celebrations was dedicated to music where Indian classical and semi-classical singing competitions were organised in which students from various districts of Punjab and other states participated.

In classical music vocal, Padmakar Kashyap won the first prize and a cash prize of Rs 10,000, Palashpriya Das won the second prize and a cash prize of Rs 5,000, in semi-classical and Sufi music, Shivam Chauhan won the first prize and a cash prize of Rs 10,000 while Plashpriya Das won second prize and a cash prize of Rs 5000.

Major General (retd) Balwinder Singh, president, Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (INTACH), was present as the chief guest at the valedictory ceremony.

Ludhiana