The country’s capital Delhi has always fostered the growth of art and culture. Time and again, it has proved to be more accepting of young budding artists than almost any other place in India. This week, we present to you 5 most promising young artists who started their journeys on the streets of charming Dilli!
Anpu Varkey is a painter and street artist. She completed her studies in Baroda, India, and London and then moved to Delhi and has since then, become a famous street artist. She believes that the best way to reach the world is through painting a wall which is public property and open to everybody. Her fascination with cats has made cat stencils her signature pieces now. In an interview for Hindustan Times, she says, “It gets you fame in a blink, although the money part is a bit tricky. But then people see and they try and connect. So, it’s worth it. On the other hand, if you put up your work in a gallery, how many and shy; people can you expect? It’s all about being there.”
Asim Waqif graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi with a degree in architecture and then went on to work for design in film and television for ten years. He majorly uses discarded plastic bottles, scrap metal, doors, furniture, lumber to convert them to sculptures and mega installations. In an interview for the Livemint, he says that “The challenge I want to address is to put objects designated as trash into people’s drawing rooms and climate-controlled art collections.
Paribartana Mohanty is a Delhi-based artist who is originally from Bhopal. Mohanty completed his B.F.A. in Printmaking from Dhauli College of Art and Craft, Bhuvaneshwar and an M.A. in History of Art from National Museum Institute, New Delhi. His works are triggered by everyday experiences ranging from news articles on the Internet, everyday conversations, travelling stories and academic interactions. His colours are usually vibrant and he likes to keep the depictions supernatural. Mohanty completed his BFA in Printmaking from Dhauli College of Art and Craft, Bhuvaneshwar and MA in History of Art from National Museum Institute, New Delhi.
Shreyas Karle is a thirty-six-year-old painter. He received a G.D. in Fine Arts in 2002 from the L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai. In 2004, he received a Post Diploma in Indian Aesthetics from Mumbai University, and in 2008, was conferred with an M.V.A. in Visual Arts at M.S. University, Baroda. His first solo show was Karle Ki Koshish and has participated in several shows since.
Pallavi Paul is a film researcher and video artist. She completed her Masters in Mass Communication from Jawahar Lal Nehru University and is pursuing her Ph.D. from the same institution now. Her works have been exhibited at TATE Modern, London, KHOJ and SARAI, Delhi. Her films have been showcased at Films Division, Mumbai and Experiments, Bangalore. She has also presented and published research articles on cinema and technology. In an interview for Verve magazine, she says, “to work around a given set of circumstances always determines my work. Therefore, as and when they start mutating, so does my approach. I am largely interested in thinking about poetics and ethics.”
Edited by: Aqsa Pervez, ASP 2019
Visual content curated by: Aqsa Pervez