At a time when Kerala reeling under its worst crisis, is eliciting compassion from all, how can artists remain behind? In Bengaluru, there are a few who have undertaken initiatives to help out in whichever way they can.
On Instagram, wildlife artist Prasad Natarajan is making an appeal to buy an art work (a realistic portrayal of rooster in acrylic on paper) priced at ₹ 8000. The buyer needs to contribute this amount to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund and send Prasad the receipt. Upon verification, the art work will be sent to the contributor. Prasad Natarajan has formed a platform for artists engaged with wildlife art called Artists for Wildlife and Nature and recently held its annual show. To view the work, visit his instagram profile @natarajanprasad
Performance artist Parameshwar Jolad is planning a performance to mobilise collegians to do voluntary work for Kodagu and Kerala. Through the performance, he wants to reach out to the youth and contribute towards the cause through ‘shramdaan’. The details of the performances are yet to be finalised.
Even as we write, city-based art entrepreneur Roshan George is winding up his relief efforts in Wayanad and coming back to figure out next plan of action. He is also encouraging people to donate directly to Kerala CM’s fund and upload their donation receipt at www.artorickshaw.org and the work will be dispatched. Based on the amount one donates, Roshan will select an art work. “I had collected lot of works for my affordable art project called - www.artorickshaw.org where you will find works for as low as ₹ 500. It was meant to people let access affordable art and I was planning to launch it in September but now I have diverted the works for this cause. Actually, artists are interested in it and supporting me to do it,” says Roshan who hails from Thrissur but has been living in Bengaluru since 1997.
The gallerist runs two art spaces in Kalyan Nagar - Artville Cafe and Artville Academy. While the former hosts art exhibitions, the latter is a place to host workshops and artist residencies. Artville Cafe is hosting a photography exhibition of five photo-journalists, the proceeds from their sales will be donated towards the cause. “Again the show was being held as planned but with this crisis, artists expressed their willingness to sell their photographs for a cause.” Till now, Roshan has collected 1,36,000 from the sale of art works.
At Artville, he is also collecting relief material which is then being transported to Kerala flood victims. “I am trying to access remote areas. We had brought truckloads of relief material, made kits and distributed in areas like Periya and Talakkara.”