Nature’s hues, creative chaos: Art fair draws eco message in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s cultural pulse quickened on Sunday as the 23rd edition of Chitra Santhe transformed Kumara Krupa Road into a mega art gallery. 

Over three lakh visitors braved their way in the crowd to witness the annual art carnival, which this year traded its usual palette for a deeper shade of green under the theme of ‘Environmental challenges’. 

Organised by the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (KCP), the fair was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The entrance featured a big installation of ‘Vriksho Rakshathi Rakshithaha’ (trees protect those who protect them), which greeted visitors alongside a large honeycomb and bee artworks. 

The banners fluttered above the KCP campus honoured green warriors like Saalumarada Thimmakka, Rajendra Singh, K P Poornachandra Tejaswi, Tulsi Gowda, Salim Ali and Medha Patkar, grounding the aesthetic beauty of the fair in environmental activism. 

With over 1,532 artists representing 22 states and 33% women artists, the event featured a stunning range of medium, from ancient Tanjore and wood art to unique coffee and sand art.

While contemporary oil, acrylic and palette knife works lined the road, live cartoonists kept the crowd engaged with quick caricatures. 

Rani Banerjee, a Bengaluru-based artist, saw her collection titled ‘Calmness within’ featuring blooming flowers and watchful eyes sell out for Rs 1.25 lakh. 

“The eyes on the bloom represent nature looking back at us,” she explained. 

Meanwhile, V Raju from Tamil Nadu became a crowd favorite with his sand art. Made from grains of sand on black graphite sheets, his portraits of Buddha and Ambedkar sold for anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000 for big frames. 

Omkar Kulkarni, a first-time participant from Pune, said the response was so overwhelming he had covered his travel and stay costs by noon.

“Everything after lunch is pure profit,” he chuckled, surrounded by his serene water colour landscapes. 

For those seeking high-value investments, a stunning oil painting of two peacocks in 3D effect by artist Ramanjaneya fetched Rs 1.5 lakh. Another masterpiece by Gokulam Vijay from Tamil Nadu, priced at Rs 1 lakh, depicted an old man clutching paddy saplings — a poignant tribute to rural life that resonated with the year’s ecological focus. 

The day’s highest-valued sale was likely a Rs 3 lakh oil on canvas by Coimbatore-based artist Satish Mani. The piece portrayed a group photo of historical figures from across the ages, ranging from Moses to Bruce Lee. 

Despite the huge footfall, the event remained manageable due to the heavy deployment of traffic and police personnel.

The BMTC’s feeder buses from Majestic and Vidhana Soudha provided a lifeline for visitors, ensuring the pedestrian-only zone remained a sanctuary for art lovers. 

Enthusiasts browse through paintings on sale at the Chitra Santhe art fair on Kumara Krupa Road in Bengaluru on Sunday. DH PHOTOs/PUSHKAR V

An art lover captures a displayed work on his phone at the art fair.