'Just People': An Art Exhibition That Expresses The Anguish Of Lockdown
Last year’s coronavirus-induced lockdown will go down in the annals of history as a memorable, even life-changing event, documented through creative works made by people battling the anxiety and boredom of being locked indoors. Perhaps those far from home - away from their loved ones, worried sick about the welfare of their family members abroad and afraid of falling seriously ill on foreign shores - most keenly felt this anguish. India’s large and vibrant expat community stayed indoors, along with the rest of the country’s citizens, for the entirety of the lockdown. Expressing their feelings through works of art was perhaps their only escape. Atlas - a Russian socio-cultural relations development centre – seeks to document these feelings and moments in its upcoming exhibition entitled Just People, which will be on display from April 6-11 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
Ekaterina Semenushkova, the Founder of Atlas, moved to India five years ago and was immediately charmed by its expansive cultural heritage and the beauty it has to offer. With a firm belief that community ventures play an important role in encouraging socio-cultural ties between countries, she committed herself to organizing events that would further this goal, especially in the fields of culture, sports and creativity. As Semenushkova is currently based in India, the organization’s activities are concentrated here, aiming to popularize Russian culture and to work towards developing inter-community cooperation.
Since its inception, Atlas has curated a number of events that have helped to build friendly relations between the two countries. “We host women’s meetings which we call Brunch in dresses, where we discuss different subjects such as style, psychology and art, among other topics. Every couple of months, we meet for a Russian book club to talk about great works of literature. Further, we periodically organize photo shoots in Indian ethnic wear for expats in collaboration with a professional photographer,” says Semenushkova, explaining the scope of activities that Atlas offers, each of which is open to people of all nationalities.
Just People is their latest, and perhaps most poignant offering yet. The exhibition is a display of the creative works of expats, who are non-professional artists currently living in India and keenly inspired by this beauteous country. “Lockdown was difficult for everyone. Many expats began to express their emotions through art and drawing. The idea behind the exhibition was to illustrate that ordinary people can also create beautiful works and unique things,” Semenushkova claims with a smile.
Showcasing works of creative people that are fond of art as opposed to professional artists, was a way to encourage and support them, so they could hone their skills without the need for professional training. The exhibition will display diverse artistic mediums including paintings, sculptures, crafts, as well as intangible objects such as poems, music, charitable and other projects that benefit society. Currently, seventeen talented artists are set to display their work at Just People, but the exhibit is open for participation for anyone whose profile and art work fits the theme – non-professional artists expressing themselves through art during the lockdown.
All proceeds from the exhibition will go to the Main Tendue charity, which supports the financial, material and physical needs of various Indian NGOs caring for underprivileged
children and women, in the Delhi-NCR area. The empathetic message and support for a good cause provide ample reason to mark one’s calendars for this one-of-a-kind exhibition.
To participate in the exhibition or for any other queries, one may contact Ekaterina Semenushkova at atlas-culture@bk.ru
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