Taking some works of art and putting them together to do an ‘art show' is becoming a regular feature in Delhi. Artsaroma, a self help artist group run by artist and former marketing personnel Kiran Pundir, was one such experience. Her show of different artists (mainly self taught) from different corners of India called “Challange-2” has just concluded at The Ashok hotel's Capitol club area.
However, the show raised some curiosity through the works of four of the featured artists — Markandey Jaiware ‘Putru' from Jharkhand who makes beautiful light-weight sculptures from pumpkin, Delhi's Jyoti Aggarwal's detailed pen and brush landscapes, P.K Chabra's work with tribal motives by using ‘palm' symbolising karma as the crux of all lives, and some realistic works on rural women by Pragya Maurya of Lucknow.
Says Pundir about the show, “I have been an artist myself and know the kind of harassment unknown but talented artists face in art galleries. They would keep their works for a long time and pretendthat they have been showing them to their clients to no avail. But they actually keep the work in their godown waiting for the artists to finally sell it off to them for peanuts so that they could sell it at a good premium later. I used to wonder at how difficult it used to be for me to sell even great works of art by unknown artists despite being from the marketing background. So, to help such artists I started Artsaroma – an artists' kutumb' – in which I divide the works of art in three categories depending upon their seniority and ‘quality' of work.”
This show, she says, “has a mix of these. I take these artists twice abroad for group/solo shows and do at least two art festivals. I don't take even half the commission that galleries do because either the artists are financially weak or can't go with begging bowl to the galleries.”
Pundir agrees that few artists are often in a hurry to show their works without completely learning it. She clarifies, “Not everyone can afford quality work that comes for a big price, but they want to have an original work of art in their home walls even if it means some compromise on quality. I do get buyers for such works and my main aim of helping the artist is served.”
Well, point taken.
