Pandemic And The Young Indian Artist

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people across all sectors. It has been more than sixteen months since it disrupted the daily lives of millions across the world. India was among the worst hit. For several months it made it to the top of the list of countries heavily affected. There were reports of hundreds dying every day. Strict lockdown measures which were initiated with the view of containing the virus led to an economic crisis as well. Although there has been research and coverage on how all of it has affected people from different fields of life, little attention has been paid to the artists. 

In fact, in a survey report published by the Sunday Times in June 2020, artists topped the “Top 5 non-essential jobs” list. This led to an outrage on social media and for the first time since the pandemic started, it brought attention to artists and the profession. Many pointed out that it was an artist who designed the graphics of the published report thus revealing the hypocrisy. Bangalore based contemporary visual artist Rupesh P Sudhanshu (27) said, “A society can’t function without any cultural expression. And on a more granular level, we as humans will not have any further evolution if not for art. Art enriches our soul. To see art as non-essential, only tells me how our society has framed the meanings of life itself.” The urgency and the immediacy of the pandemic situation, especially during the beginning might also be attributed to such a collective view. However, it is needless to say that such an outcome might have been majorly demotivating to the young artists of the country.

The political and social conditions of the country proved to be detrimental to the people. News of sickness, death, and suffering surely influenced many artists. Hyderabad-based artist Deepa Nath told The Hindu how the migrant crisis of 2020 impacted her art. It became a central theme on her canvas. Likewise, various Indian artists overwhelmed with the situation were able to express uneasiness through their art. The ever-changing political situation had a huge impact on the art world. 

Young artists in India, especially the ones who do not study art at the college level or have no connections in the art world through family, face difficulty in reaching out to their audience. Networking is the only way in which they can exhibit and sell their work. The pandemic led lockdowns made things all the more difficult for them. With art galleries and museums closed, people in the fields of art found it almost impossible to work. The world all of a sudden, was living virtually. Many galleries and art establishments conducted exhibitions online and most of them were made free to the public. Although such initiatives were undertaken to help people stuck at home cope with stress through art, they had a great impact on revenue generation. It’s difficult to sell art online when the potential buyer views it on a computer screen. Kolkata-based transmedia artist, Soumyadeep Roy said. “Most of the residencies, both abroad and here, were closed, and there was no question of an exhibition. For me, the presentation of an artwork in person is as important as making the artwork itself, and I was missing that. I did get to work on my drawings and paintings, but the previously incomplete projects, which were supposed to happen in 2020, didn’t happen.” There are many like him who suffered a setback during the pandemic. 

The challenges have not been any different for students of art or those who have direct links to institutions of art. Schools, Colleges, and Universities in the country were among the first to close down. Soon enough, institutions adapted to the online mode. This made things worse for the students of art. Ritwika Ganguly (21), who is a full-time practicing visual artist from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University said, “Staying in Santiniketan and enjoying physical learning would have been a lot different because of the motivation from surrounding artists. The development should not be compared but it would definitely be different from what it's now. Productivity and artistic flow, according to the present situation, lack frequent motivation and therefore, the pace of work lags a little.” The disengagement that was caused due to the nationwide lockdowns hit the young artists the most and disconnected them from the very essence of interacting with art in a suitable environment.

Artist at work in Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.

Although the year 2020 was mostly a challenge for artists of the country, there were many interesting developments as well. One of them was the rise of creative expression in people. Due to strict lockdowns, people couldn’t go out. It was a sudden and difficult change. Students were attending classes online and many professionals started working from home. People were at large disconnected from the outside world. After the first couple of months, social media was overflowing with art from non-artists. People who were working corporate jobs, ones who had a hectic lifestyle found solace in creating art. Many of them, who had given up their hobbies or interests, went back to it, mainly to cope with the chaotic circumstances of personal life as well as the socio-political situation of the world at large and the country in particular. Sameek Mondal (27), an assistant professor of Political Science and a researcher, started sculpting during the same time. He says, “When the lockdown started in 2020, everything came to a halt suddenly. Along with that, the bad news was flowing in from all sides. These were realities that had to be digested even before processing them properly. I am not an artist but I have always had a keen interest in painting and sculpting since I was a child. So I decided to give it a go and started with it. And I have continued since then.” There are hundreds like him who started with a certain form of art and found solace in it. Such a phenomenon has led more and more people to indulge in art and it hasn’t been limited to painting or sculpting. Embroidery, Crocheting, Digital art are some of the few other forms in which people took interest. 

But what is the situation for the young artists in India? How do the people of the country view art and artists in general? Kolkata-based full-time artist Angana Kundu (25) said, “ Indians are very hungover over what they have seen and what has been established as good art or bad art. They also have limited knowledge of contemporary art and artists. For example, Bengalis are still hungover on Gaganendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Sukumar Roy and the like. Even in the case of such famous personalities, they are aware of a selected few popular artworks which comprise just one part of their art. Young Indian artists are practically invisible apart from some elite circles who are aware of a few social media famous emerging artists.”

The collective consciousness of Indians regarding art is lagging and limited to a certain group. Although it is not very difficult to understand such a phenomenon if we contextualize it in the socio-economic scenario of the country (pandemic or not), it is rather discouraging for young people who envision themselves as artists in the future. There is a lot to be done. Almost all the artists we talked to mentioned the importance of family support especially during the peak of the pandemic. There also needs to be active interaction between artists and the mass. While the internet has become the medium to reach out to people, it is crucial to remember that there should be ground level work to promote art and diversify the field of Indian art. Art can be used to bring about social change. Mumbai-based group Green Habit undertook a project to revamp the slums of the city with colours, graffiti and installations. It not only brightened things up but many of them carried important social messages regarding issues such as women’s rights, conservation of water and protection of trees. The power of art and the endless efforts of young Indian artists deserve appreciation and more importantly attention. 

Although the pandemic has exposed different faces of the art industry of the country, it has also shown that the emerging artists have to face double-fold stress to finance themselves through art. This will only change when people realise the importance of art and take an active interest in the young artists who work with passion and dedication. And for that interest to build, exposure and connection to the mass is of utmost importance especially to combat the pandemic’s effects.