How these two Mumbai collectives are making art fun again for enthusiasts

Participants at Artcade Night, playing a creative game called Scenes from Bombay

You're looking at a seemingly ordinary woman. On her face is a cryptic smile. She has no eyebrows or eyelashes, yet her stare feels piercing and complete. Mountains, a calm lake, and winding roads stretch all the way to the horizon behind her, but she is here, breaking whatever the artistic equivalent of the fourth wall is.

Do you think you understand what Da Vinci was trying with Mona Lisa? Whatever it is, the whole painting perhaps feels foreign, boring, somber and even a little intimidating. All things said, perhaps art doesn't seem to be your cup of tea. There are people in Mumbai who are actively trying to change that, and trying to make art fun and accessible for those who haven't got much exposure to it.

Abhishek Lamba interacting with participants playing ‘But I Don't Understand Art' at Artcade Night

"I always felt that art galleries were a very passive space," says Abhishek Lamba. He is a game designer, one of the brains behind the Shasn and Shasn Azadi board games, who now brings his design expertise and ingenuity to the world of art with "Artcade Nights". He creates original games tailored to every exhibit, that help the attendees understand the narrative and historical context behind the artwork. His process is a long one of examining all pieces and conversations with the curators and artists, and brainstorming how the theme or essence of the exhibit can be gamified.

Mumbai Sketch Club members sharing their work with each other

The results are always interesting. His most common game is But I Don't Understand Art, in which everyone walks through the gallery and picks up the small printed copies of three artworks which they understood the least. A race ensues as the participants hunt down people who have understood the pieces that baffled them. In a flurry, meanings and themes of every piece are discussed, and the first person to collect the explanation for all three of their cards wins a book tied to the show.

Participants at Artcade Night working together to decipher the meanings of the artworks at an exhibition in the city

"The games turn a passive space into an active one, where you can build a community around art," as Lamba puts it. Camaraderie aside, the games are a very effective way for people to learn and understand. "As a game designer," Lamba states, "I believe that games are our most natural systems of learning. When you think about it, you would notice that the progeny of most species play games. Kittens and puppies play hide and seek. We grew up playing it too. Across species, why do we play the same kind of games? Games are our body's natural way of learning."

Mumbai Sketch Club members displaying new work after a productive meet-up

With a number of repeat attendees, it is safe to say the games have succeeded in bringing more people to the galleries. For some, they have even given birth to a new outlook. Viveka Sah considers herself among the latter. "Despite my educational background in art, I do feel like Artcade has helped me engage with art in ways I had never encountered before. It's helped me approach art from a more personal and narrativised perspective that is really hard to encounter in any other capacity."

Participants with the artworks they have made during Artcade Night

While Artcade Nights has made a convert out of many a person who thought art wasn't for them, "I would say one of the first converts was actually me," says Lamba. "I came into this world as an outsider. Now I am reading so much more about art history, reading so much more about all these artists."

To admire and understand is one thing, but what if you want to create something yourself? A small cartoon, a silly doodle, something you put on paper without fear of judgment. You can always take up sketching with the Mumbai Sketch Club.

Aarohi Devasthale and Nikita Thakur

It was founded by two artists, Aarohi Devasthale and Nikita Thakur, in an attempt to soothe an increasing sense of isolation that they were feeling as creatives. Devasthale recounts, "Nikita and I wanted to create a third space where people can come with their art supplies on a weekend morning, meet strangers who are also into art and draw together. A social gathering where people don't have to shell out money to attend."

The result of their efforts is a thriving community of artists, including beginners and experienced artists alike. "We have met people who haven't drawn in years and are restarting with us, or those who are professionals," Devasthale is proud to admit, "I still remember one woman who told me she never used to sketch and draw, and actually discovered she was great at it by attending Sketch Club. She is now a regular and we love seeing her gorgeous paintings!"

Abhishek Lamba

People of different ages and professional backgrounds meet up at cafés in Andheri and Bandra on Saturday mornings, and let their creative juices flow. Across 17 meet-ups, they have managed to invite over 200 people. "The speed with which we have grown," Thakur believes,

"is a testament to the fact that people really need recurring low-pressure meet-ups in the city. We are so happy to see people become regulars, form friendships with each other, and share their love for art."

Sayali Parkar, a member, shares, "I was stuck between wanting to create and being burnt out. I found myself procrastinating all the time. But joining the club changed things. It gave me purpose to wake up, get ready and get going to make art. I started treating it as a priority."

Sayali Parkar

Thanks to people like Lamba, Devasthale, and Thakur, understanding and making art is becoming easier, and much more fun. There are no excuses anymore. All that is left is for us to thank Mona Lisa for piquing our interest and start drawing.

How to join

Artcade Nights: Find tickets for upcoming events at Lamba's page on Instagram @lambashake or his website lambashake.github.io

Bombay Sketch Club: Join upcoming meet-ups through Instagram at @mumbaisketchclub