An exhibition at a SoBo art gallery brings together 25 children to showcase the diversity of ideas and creativity
Anahat Goenka creates her work, Leo and I
It is a mistake to think of art as a serious pursuit. It is one of the primal experiences of the human spirit, not unlike song, dance, or storytelling. “We believe children are creative, and can come up with some fascinating work,” shares curator Bindal Shah. On Saturday, Shah will join 25 children as they open the exhibition, Square Foot Stories, at the Cymroza Art Gallery at Cumballa Hill to provide evidence.
The exhibition is part of an annual display curated by Bindal and Payal Shah of Artezvous. “We have done this show annually for many years. Our effort is to do at least one show a year to showcase this,” Bindal shares. This year, the children were asked to work on canvases that measured 1 ft x 1 ft. “We do not restrict them in the choice of the themes or ideas. They are just given a time period, and within that stipulated time, any six or eight works of their choice and theme are exhibited,” the curator explains.
Golden Awakening by Aavya Gopalkrishnan
Thus, nine-year-old Anahat Goenka’s nostalgic work of her pet friend occupies a place in the gallery that once hosted works by Jehangir Sabavala. “My series, Leo and I is inspired by the moments with my pet, Leo. I wanted to show the unconditional love he brings to my life,” shares little Anahat.
Bindal Shah
For 11-year-old Zehaan Wadia, it is the world underwater that holds fascination. “I chose the Underwater Series because I love sea creatures — They are fascinating, mysterious, and full of movement. I drew them on a gold foil background to make them come alive. It took me about three months to finish the series,” he shares. Having started sketching at the age of six, Zehaan finds the activity to be calming.
Medha Goenka with an artwork
Shah admits, “We had heard parents talk about how they [the children] would calm down when they’d work on the canvas. It helps to center them.” The works may be simple, but they are not simplistic. Medha Goenka, 14, turned her vacations to Greece and the Mediterranean into tapestries for the exhibition. “My story is an intertwined tale of blue, a colour portraying trust and dependability, and white, a symbol of tranquillity and purity,” she says. Among her three works is a tapestry with tiles stitched together within the restrictions of one square foot.
A canvas of an underwater turtle by Zehaan Wadia
This tangential exploration is what makes the exhibition interesting, says the curator. “Oftentimes, the kids will come back and do out-of-the-box creative things. Some create with scrap material, and others with elements they are familiar with. In fact, we have a work made by one child using LEGO pieces. Yet, despite these differences, when they come to the show, they all speak a similar language. They form a kinship that already exists,” she observes.
Art, as they say, is for everyone.
On November 1 and 2; 11 am to 7 pm
At Cymroza Art Gallery, 72, Bhulabhai Desai Marg, Breach Candy, Cumballa Hill
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