JOIN USChitra Santhe, the annual painting exhibition-cum-sale fair organised at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, stood true to its reputation as an art lovers’ paradise as over three people visited it on Sunday.
Walls at the CKP premises as well as on both sides of Kumara Krupa Road were decorated with paintings and sketches, each jostling with another for the visitors’ attention. Artists from around the country flocked to the fair — some to advertise their art, others to just display their labour of love.
From pencil sketches on handmade papers, paintings on glass and oil paintings to the traditional Mysore, Tanjore, Rajasthani and Madhubani paintings, it was not a stroke away from reality. It was a feast for the onlookers as portraits with life filled in their eyes.
At least 1,182 stalls were put up at the event, including two by foreign artists, one of the volunteers said. Artists from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, etc were among the exhibitors. Till evening, over three lakh people walked in, prompting B L Shankar, the CKP president, to remark, “Year after year, people are getting closer to art.”
Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the fair as senior artists from the City looked on. Bangalore In-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy was also in attendance. Mayor B Satyanarayana was present with family members.
“It is a matter of pride that artists from across the country are taking part in Chitra Santhe. The fair is a good platform for them,” Siddaramaiah said. It provided an opportunity to vendors as well as buyers as no middlemen would be involved, he added. “The government is ready to extend full support to such events.”
A work by artist B G Gujjarappa, which was autographed by the chief minister, fetched Rs 41,000. The General Secretary of CKP, M H Krishniah, was the buyer. The models of horse, woman, lion and a man with a tea cup in hand made of waste metal were among the other attractions at the fair. Vendors selling accessories, food and fruit did brisk business. The entire stretch of Kumara Krupa Road was blocked for traffic.