The 23rd edition of Bengaluru's beloved Chitra Santhe art fair, held on Sunday, transformed the city into a vibrant canvas of creativity. The event stood out for its incredible diversity, bringing together everyone from wide-eyed young children to seasoned professional artists, mirroring the vast spectrum of colours on display.
Young Prodigies Steal the Show
Yuvaan, who celebrated his seventh birthday just a week before the fair, was among the youngest exhibitors. Having taken painting seriously only two months prior, he works with oil pastels and achieved a significant milestone by selling his first artwork at the Santhe. With a bright smile, he announced that the proceeds were destined for his piggy bank. Yuvaan explained his charming artwork simply: "I chose oil pastels because I already had them at home and I liked how the colours looked. I love looking at lakes, but I don't want to enter them. I drew a house next to a lake, as it looked pretty."
He was in talented company. Other young artists included six-year-old Nivishka, eight-year-old Aditi, and six-year-old Netra, all of whom attend art classes in Seshadripuram. Their creations, drawn from pure instinct, ranged from colourful houses and landscapes to imaginative scenes, proving that artistic expression knows no age limit.
Personal Journeys and Artistic Discovery
For 23-year-old Sri Dhrithi from Bannerghatta Road, art became a lifeline. A spinal cord injury from an accident three years ago, which temporarily left her wheelchair-bound, marked a defining turning point. During her recovery, she immersed herself in painting, largely learning the craft through Instagram in the post-Covid period. Making her debut at Chitra Santhe, Dhrithi primarily works with acrylics on canvas. She favours visible brushstrokes over strict realism, allowing each piece to narrate a personal journey. Her subjects, which include Varanasi cityscapes, Indian dance forms, and nature, reflect her belief in humanity's instinctive connection with the natural world.
Meanwhile, Neha Priya, a 39-year-old artist from Seshadripuram, honoured her Bihari roots with intricate monochrome Madhubani paintings. Having practised for seven years, she uses a meticulous technique involving a fountain pen nib dipped in thinned acrylic paint, building each composition line by line. An A4-sized piece demands 5-6 hours of focused work, showcasing immense patience and precision. Her works at the fair were priced between Rs 1,850 and Rs 2,000. Neha emphasized the engaged audience at Chitra Santhe, noting, "People here don't just look at art and walk away — they want to know the form, why it is done, and the effort behind it."
A Global Connection: Art Without Borders
The fair's appeal stretched beyond India's borders. Manoj Kumar Swain, a director at a management consulting firm in Dubai, flies to his hometown Bengaluru every January with his family specifically to participate in Chitra Santhe. He discovered his passion for painting a few years ago and creates figurative and religious works focused on intense facial expressions and emotional depth. His signature style often features black backgrounds that isolate the subject, symbolizing light emerging from darkness.
While he exhibits in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Swain feels a unique freedom in Bengaluru. He explained, "The cultural society in Dubai does not allow the display of my style of figurative or religious paintings. The art there is very different, whereas here there is a wider audience and a lot of opportunity." This sentiment underscores Chitra Santhe's role as a vital, inclusive, and rewarding platform that attracts genuine art lovers, providing an unmatched space for artists to showcase their skill and creativity to an appreciative public.
