As the mild afternoon winds down to a breezy evening, a group of people sit together and carve their art out of a sheet of linoleum at TASMAI, a Centre for Art and Culture as Santhi Siri instructs them.
“I first learned Linocut during my under graduation years and have been addicted ever since. This has been by medium of self expression.” says Ms. Siri as she passionately indulges in the carving.
At a two-day printmaking workshop held at TASMAI, Ms. Siri, explained to the participants the art of linocut which is a printmaking technique in which the design is carved into a sheet of linoleum and then hand-printed.
“Linocut requires an intense visualisation of the outcome in mind as the design is carved in reverse. It needs dedication and focus,” adds the artist.
Ms. Siri also talks about the difficulties she faces as an artist, as the high-priced tools and materials are unavailable in the town and she purchases them online which is expensive.
“Adding to this, art isn’t being given the importance it deserves. A platform like this workshop is really hard to find. Owing to which, we are planning to open a press for public access,” she adds.
Kirti, founder of TASMAI, also says that she wants TASMAI to be an active platform for art and to provide the cultural education that is increasingly a rare space to find.