“The purpose of art is not to simply please; art should inspire people,’’ says Delhi-based artist Roop Chand, who lives by these words. As India goes to war with coronavirus, Chand has his weapons at arms — his paintings. Ever since the lockdown was put in place, he has been drawing inspirational images to create awareness in his audience. “Everyone, no matter what field they are from, should aspire to work for the betterment of the nation as a whole.” Chand plans to sell his artworks and donate the proceeds to the Prime Minister CARES Fund.
Art galleries, which have been forced to close their doors, have opened their windows online for those willing to contribute to a valuable cause. Easel Stories, an art platform run by art collector and appreciator Akshay Chandra, is doing its bit during the nationwide lockdown. “I was perturbed by the condition of migrant and daily wage workers across India. So we started supporting the Feeding India initiative, which has been launched to alleviate hunger in the poorest citizens of our country. To raise money, we’re putting up for online sale 12 beautiful pieces by renowned artists, at reduced prices.’’ Chandra’s organisation is not getting any cut from the endeavour and till date, they have sold five artworks amounting to ₹1.5 lakh in donation.
South Delhi situated Art Magnum has organised Affordable Masters, an online exhibition showcasing artworks that can be acquired by art connoisseurs and enthusiasts at reasonable prices. Art curator Saurabh Singhvi says, “People have so many expectations from the government, but we as citizens must do whatever we can at our level. We have committed to donate a part of our profits to the PM CARES Fund to fight the ongoing battle against coronavirus, and the prices of artworks, by legendary artists, have been negotiated to bear in mind that this is a charity exhibition.’’
Another virtual charity show is Paperage, which is organised by Concern India Foundation (CIF) under their Art For Concern initiative. “At this time, we wanted to raise funds towards our work on the ground that supports health teams and protective equipment in the fight against Covid-19. We decided to kick off an art show, Paperage, as an online exhibition of artworks on paper by renowned and senior artists,’’ says Kavita Shah from CIF, adding, “This effort gives people an opportunity to buy art and support (our) efforts in Covid-19 relief.’’
