As Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi awards etching printmaking machines to two artists, the latter showcase their creations with elan

Sheetal

The Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi (CLKA) had taken a first-of-its kind initiative by awarding etching printmaking machines to two printmakers, Rahul Dhiman and Chhering Negi some months ago and the proud winners used the same to curate art works. On Wednesday evening, CLKA inaugurated a printmaking exhibition by them. A pass-out from the Government College of Art (GCA), Rahul Dhiman, “Machines are very expensive and now with this award, I will be able to give art lovers a chance to understand printmaking and also encourage budding printmakers.”

Rahul’s works are inspired by his daily struggle to pursue graduation when he travelled from Ambala to Chandigarh, covering 45-km everyday by train and then cycling from the station to GCA.

Nature love

Chhering Negi’s creations are about the strong connection of nature and humans. He believes that the lockdown was a tough time for artists, as they had no place to pursue their work and due to lack of equipment, printmakers had to go from place to place. “The Akademi has considered the needs of artists and it is a wonderful way forward,” says Negi, who hails from Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

Bheem Malhotra, Chairperson CLKA, shares, “For young printmakers, machines are too expensive, so it is very tough for them to pursue their work. We wanted them to be independent and awarded the machines. These awards fall under CLKA’s recently introduced Open Hand Art Studios Scholarship (2021-22).”

(On display at the galleries of CLKA’s Open Hand Art Studio’s Le-Corbusier Centre till May 24)