To top it all is the ever elusive and mysterious entity called

Yes, the luxury segment is the end product for a very small niche minority.The reason for my disheartened frame of mind is my recent visit to a couple of galleries this week and the mood of the artists was worse, and my empathy for them was so acute that it lingers and affects me more than I care to admit.The economic China PP webbing situation of the world is directly related to the health of the art across the world. I think of the arts as akin to the Delhi weather which is ruled by the Shimla temperatures. These are first-hand stories around me. It is not as though there have been appreciable cancellations either. But for the ones who create these luxuries, it is a matter of dal-roti.Around myself, I see that my weaver from Chanderi is unable to sell his wares, my block printer has had to downsize to only his retired father and brother working as opposed to five other workers who worked regularly in his home karkhana. It is just the mood of despondency that seems to have enveloped the country in general and the arts in particular for they the first to be affected. Often artists out of the purview of the gallery system put in their money to hold shows and the money invested in an art show are very precious and increasingly difficult to find. Two of my sculptor friends have had indefinite postponements of their works. Imagine trying to put together a show sans hope for any sale.

To top it all is the ever elusive and mysterious entity called fame and luck which too are two sides of the same coin – for one can’t come without the other and both, the money even for survival can’t come. Also when I see the situation of my weavers and block printers, it fills me up with deep rage. If Shimla sneezes, Delhi reaches out for its blankets, and if Shimla muffles a sneeze, Delhi catches a cold, and if there is snow in Shimla, Delhi reels under a horrendous cold wave, and all the heaters are sold out!   At a time when such a large number of people have lost their jobs at the grass root level – craftspersons, embroiderers, printers on cloth, weavers have lost orders, artists have lost assignments, new assignments arehard to come by especially in the so-called luxury segment that are related to the arts, there is an air of thanatos for the artists have lost hope that anything will sell this season.Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alkaraghuvanshi@ yahoo. This year there have been fewer shows that elicit great excitement. Just when things start to look up in winter for them in the festival season, wedding season, they have been pushed into such a corner that post demonetisation that many have gone back to villages — although I wonder what they will do there.com. My maid’s husband an accomplished embroidery worker has lost his job.It is the proverbial chicken and egg syndrome, there is gallery support for a miniscule minority of artists who too are dictated by the terror of the galleries in terms of gallery commissions, not being able to sell their works out of the purview of the gallery participation in the international arena including biennales and triennials and of course being featured in publications. Even though it is ostensibly about his beloved, but it is actually about his motherland and these lines ring clear to me to describe the art scene this season. I am sure there are countless others that will die unsung.Besides it needs deep pockets to be able to sustain their work and career over a period of time and hence continue to be ruled by the galleries. As if life is not as it is difficult enough. Most individual artists are unable to do this at the national level, let alone handle international positioning.I am reminded of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poignant lines wherein the poet laureate in exile in London had said Na unse mile hain, na mai pe hai…talaash mein hai seher…baar-baar guzri hai…ajeeb rang abke bahaar guzri hai. Usually, around this time there is such a glut of shows that one is hard put to select the ones to see

The three-day design mela feature s10 new-age designers

The festival aims to celebrate the magic of the Indian monsoon with the old and the new, forgotten traditional cultural practices and pioneering contemporary creative expressions. Indian handlooms are known for their richness, exquisiteness, variety and fine quality. We work towards the enmeshing of the modern and the traditional in these exhibitions, attempting to create a renaissance of sorts,” shares Himanshu Verma, curator of the show.”The Pichvais and watercolours exhibition that opens on Sunday features some of the visual culture of Shrinathji of Nathdwara, encompassing a rich vocabulary of depicting lord Krishna’s divine presence and the artistic beauty of Sewa in the Pushti-marg denomination of Krishna bhakti. The divine mythologies of the rain and environment; and the new experience of the monsoon in urban centres with its often anti-thetical narrative of monsoon as a nuisance — the season connects us to the magic of the cosmos, and brings together everything — from a raindrop to the vast ocean in this mad unalloyed dance of joy. The Monsoon Festival 11 presents ‘Water Waves: Red Earth Design Mela’ that features new design collections (saris, apparel, accessories and art) inspired by the season; and ‘Nathdwara: Visual Cultures of Shrinathji’, an exhibition of Pichvais and watercolours from Nathdwara.

The three-day design mela feature s10 new-age designers experimenting with and exploring the traditional weave in an innovative and interesting manner. They are an integral part of Indian cultures and festivals or occasions are complete without them. The collection includes Pichvais made of paint, embroidery, brocade, lace, crochet and applique to watercolour commemorations of the leelas of Krishna. For example, Pratham is showcasing a collection of printed saris inspired by Pichvai art, while PRITaM has an interesting collection of monsoon inspired hand-painted and embroidered saris and apparel. Celebrating the beauty of monsoon with attributed to Lord Krishna, Red Earth is back with the 11th edition of ‘The Monsoon Festival’.”. The passage of time has brought about a change in the weaves, patterns and designs boasting of glamour and magnificence, and the importance of handlooms still remains the same. On the other hand we have a brand called Peoli, which deals with organic cotton knit apparel. He continues, “The monsoon is not just a season but a complex cultural being, bringing alive the fertility of the Indian mind — in expressions ranging from visual art to poetry, music to drama; lived culture including festivals, food and other celebratory elements; and the richness of human emotional response. Each designer in this show is showcasing something unique keeping in mind the theme of monsoon. “The whole idea is to revive the traditional weave.Lord Krishna, the quintessential god of love, romance and benevolence, is also the one who came in the form of rain to shower his mercy and love upon the world. This is specially sourced cotton from Nagaland, Kutch and Uttarakhand region and the brand is working towards reviving the traditional style of cotton knit to suit the sensibility of today’s generation. “The exhibition presents historic and contemporary PP webbing works of art (cloth Pichvais and paper works) of different styles and techniques, mainly from Nathdwara,” shares Himanshu and adds, “From abstract musings to a celebration of the lush languishing landscapes of the monsoon, the flora that grows greener by the day, the fauna that cannot contain itself and its effect on the human race