Prarambh Simplifies Entry for Students into the World of Arts Through a Pan India Exhibition

“Prarambh” means 'a new beginning’, and this will continue to be a platform to showcase the artworks of visual art students from diverse regions. The objective is to create a common platform where students can come across works of their peers from various parts of the country and gain inspiration.

“Prarambh” also means a ‘threshold’ and the festival will be a platform to receive real market exposure and provide hands on experience for the future careers of these students with critical feedback of their art from peers and, experts and the public in general.  Through the works of their contemporaries they will be exposed to a different approaches and philosophies.

The event held first in October last year had  was a pioneering initiative, showcasing artworks of visual art students from 30 reputed fine art institutes across the country. The most significant achievement of Prarambh was the exposure received by the student artists. Many talented students had their profiles covered in the media and  their artworks sold for the first time, providing a major boost to the morale of the student artists, particularly to those who came from humble economic backgrounds.

But the aim is to take this venture further, but introducing quality art works over quantity, ensured through stricter evaluation criteria. To enrich the character of the Festival, the focus is on about 200 artworks of highly talented students across all categories of visual arts.

There will be broader participation this time and artworks from over 40 institutes have already been shortlisted. These include the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S University of Baroda; Faculty of Visual Arts, BHU, Varanasi; Faculty of Fine Arts, Jamia Milia Islamia; College of Art, Delhi Chandigarh; Department of Fine Arts, Kurukshetra University; Department of Fine Arts, Aligarh Muslim University; College of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow University; Government College of Art, Chandigarh; Department of Fine Arts, University of Hyderabad; and Assam University, Silchar.

There will be greater diversity in mediums and styles of art which will appeal to the collectors. Apart from oil and acrylic on canvas the collection will include a large variety of water colours, lithographs, digital manipulations, sculptures on natural materials, outdoor installations, mix media art including painting on textiles etc. Performing artist and 3D art will also be featured.

The  festival will recognize talented artists with cash awards. The top 25 artists will also be selected for an exhibition in future in a prominent gallery.

Workshops are also being conducted by senior artists and the aim is to increase public participation through media publicity and focused marketing campaigns targeted for young first time collectors.
The aim is that young artists gain experience of dealing with art professionals and become more aware of the dynamics of art market; and fine-tune their own individual career aspirations.

The Art Route specialises in development, promotion and education of art. It is committed to building an interactive community of contemporary artists from different backgrounds with the objective of raising the interest and participation of people in Visual Arts. The vision is to create a vibrant artistic environment through a continuous exchange of ideas between artists and individuals from different cultures, geographies and disciplines.

Taking inspiration from the 2000 year-old Silk Route across Asia which became the melting pot of culture between the West and the East, the Art Route launched in 2014 wants to create a platform of cross-cultural dialogue between artists from different geographies, communities and disciplines.

Believing strongly that art should not just be limited to the patronizing elite, the aim is to be the “route” or the vehicle which allows it to be accessed to the public in general. 

Photo Caption:
2nd Edition of PRARAMBH, India’s first student art festival
Golden Touch Pig Acrylic on canvas by Sanjay Raj