On March 24th, a sudden SMS notification surprised me. Something I almost forgot about. It was a message from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP) with the news of me getting selected to participate in the 19thedition of Chitra Santhe – 2022; the first physical art mela after two years of COVID-19. Naturally, my excitement level hit the roof.
A Little about Chitra Santhe
Chitra Santhe is an annual art event conducted by Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in association with the Government of Karnataka. They receive over 5000 applications from artists across the country, every year and only 1500-2000 applicants are selected to participate.
Kumarapark Road (Bengaluru), where CKP is located is closed for vehicles on this day and stalls are allocated to selected artists on the road pavement. The event starts at 8 AM and goes on till 8 PM.
This year, the event was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraja Bommai and other dignitaries.
Chitra Santhe has been happening for the last 19 years and is usually kept on the first Sunday of the year. This year it was postponed due to the third wave of COVID-19.
Finally, it happened on 27th March 2022.
My Experience at Chitra Santhe
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that most artists dream of participating in this event and this year, my dream came true. Although last year, I had participated 18th Edition of Chitra Santhe but it was an online event. But this year I got to taste the real deal.
My wife and I arrived at the venue at 8:30 AM, dragging big bags containing all my work till date. The stack included pencil sketches and caricatures of prominent personalities and paintings. We were delayed and as vehicles weren’t allowed, we walked a distance to the allotted space. Quite a workout on a Sunday morning!
Tip – Be a bit early before 8 AM to avoid walking with luggage.
CKP had organized the event very well and ensured the participants were comfortable. Many CKP students who volunteered, helped participants and visitors alike. We were given breakfast and lunch coupons. A simple plate of hot upma felt scrumptious, and we drowned it with hot tea/coffee. Later, volunteers delivered lunch to all artists at their respective stalls against the coupons as it wasn’t possible for artists to leave the space and collect lunch.
My stall was located on the entrance of Crescent Road, which is opposite to the entrance of CKP. I was a bit disappointed, as it is the main road (Kumarapark road) that receives the maximum crowd as compared to the lanes. However, I arranged all my artworks neatly and ensured visibility to everyone passing through my stall.
The first half was slow, so I used this time to visit other stalls and meet my fellow artist friends.
By noon, visitor volume had increased, and I was getting a good response for my artworks. I kept portraits and caricatures at the front, and they were attracting quite a crowd. People dropped by to admire them and take pictures. Kids were having a gala time guessing the name of the celebrity, some of them (Kishor Kumar, Kader Khan) they obviously didn’t recognize. Professional photographers and newspaper journalists dropped by to take photos, take my quotes on the event for their social media channels and publications.
Interested patrons crowded at my stall to enquire about the prices, custom work, and appreciate the artworks. Well, we also requested everyone to tag us on Instagram if they uploaded the pictures. Some of them did.
By late noon and evening, the crowd swelled and artists including me were hopeful of making more sales. Well, I did sell two of my artworks, a small oil-painting of a vintage car and a color-pencil sketch of M S Dhoni. That’s it.
Tip – Don’t feel disappointed. You can’t do much about stall allocation as it is done by CKP. Just be there and experience the event. Make the best of what’s available!
An Eye Opening Event
Well, the appreciation that artists receive at an open event like Chitra Santhe is what we work for. It was heartening to see so many people getting attracted to my artworks. It re-instated the fact that portraits and caricatures touch the very soul of a person. Even some of my paintings whom I thought nobody would enquire/buy were attracting people. This taught me that every painting has a ‘lover’ and an artist shouldn’t dismiss or undermine it. Remember, the underdog has every chance of winning.
The Flip Side of Chitra Santhe
I had heard about ‘heavy bargaining’ from artists who had participated in Chitra Santhe earlier. Bargaining is the reason why many of my artist friends have stopped participating in Chitra Santhe.
I got a taste of it when a lady with her family dropped by to buy my oil-painting of a vintage car. I had already kept a discounted price of Rs. 1000, and she immediately dropped it to 500. I tried explaining to her that this is already a discounted price, but she argued that it’s not a set but a single piece. Also, the framing is very simple, and she will have to redo it again. Well, she looked like an educated person from a well-to-do family but negotiated like she would at a vegetable market. Finally, I relented and gave it for Rs. 500 as it was my first sale of the day.
People’s reaction upon hearing the prices wasn’t any different. I had priced A3-sized portraits and caricatures at Rs. 1500 each. A doctor, among other people found those overpriced. Well, I don’t know if I should blame them or the lack of awareness and appreciation for hand-made art.
An 18” by 24” acrylic painting of Venice Gondolas was priced at a discount of Rs. 6000 would have found a house, if the young lady would have accepted it even at the negotiated price of Rs. 5000. She also asked me if I can reduce the price after taking off the wooden frame. Speechless!
When I quoted the price of an acrylic Buddha painting to a gentleman, he gasped as if he had seen a ghost or saw me committing a crime.
In conversations with other artists, I realized that everyone faced the same issue. I saw a family haggling with an artist for almost 45 minutes before going away satisfied with a bunch of artworks. Well, the artist was satisfied, or was she?
A Bittersweet Experience
I appreciate Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath and the Government of Karnataka to organize such an event at a grand scale. It is not easy, especially after two years of COVID-19 induced break. An art exhibition along with cultural events and felicitation ceremonies all happening on a single day is really special.
The summer was unrelenting and everyone including artists, visitors, and volunteers braved the heat to make it successful. Yes, the crowd was a bit less as compared to pre-covid Chitra Santhe. Hopefully it will be back to normal next year.
Every artist, especially beginners, aspire to participate in this platform as they get a good exposure. It is an event where art lovers, collectors, and connoisseurs assemble to view and buy what they like.
However, all the true intentions get marred by relentless haggling and bargaining. We Indians love to bargain but it shouldn’t happen everywhere, buyers should be conscious of the efforts that goes into an artwork.
Artists put in a lot of energy, money, and lifetime learning a skill to create lovely artworks that bring a wall to life and brighten up the viewer’s mood. It is very unfair that artists are taken advantage of and denied monetary compensation that won’t even cover the costs incurred to create, transport and maintain those artworks. I bet most artists have suffered losses by participating in Chitra Santhe, especially those who have traveled from far-off places.
Nevertheless, such incidents shouldn’t deter us from participating in Chitra Santhe. We as artists should enjoy the opportunity given to us and simultaneously, hold our dignity and self-respect by not selling at very low prices. If an artwork is really good and demands that price, people will pay either now or later.
Yes, there’s a thin line as many artists depend on such events for their bread and butter, and they must sell in order to sustain themselves. But common people shouldn’t take advantage of it.
Some directives by Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath and The Government of Karnataka in the future Chitra Santhe events can be helpful to artists. Lack of awareness is the main issue and I hope people understand what goes behind creating that wonderful piece of art.
Hope to see you all at Chitra Santhe 2023!
VarTOONS - Varun's Art & Toons 