Young vs. old: Redefining affordable art

Art by Ritu Singh

Affordable art has been around for years - mostly as a broad category - featuring works of the fresh art school graduates who are too new to demand high prices, or in many instances, not wealthy enough to be able to cough up hefty booth rentals at art festivals.

Art by Poonam Kishore

However, despite the affordable tag, the quality of works has been impressive. In fact, some shows like the Baroda Art March, organised every summer, have raised the bar. Now, Art OfF Course, a new show organised by International Creative Art Centre (ICAC) between November 25 and 30, aims to showcase the same quality, but on a larger scale. The show will feature works of young artists such as Minal Jain, Pradnya Khandgaonkar, Ritu Singh, Archana Yadav and Ritu Lahoti, among others.

Art by Ritu Singh

"We have nearly 500 paintings from 250 artists at the festival, starting at Rs 1500," says Ravindra Mardia, co-curator and founder, ICAC.

Art by Pradnya Khandgaonkar

Mardia says that most of the young artists featured in the show show promise, and this is an attempt to offer them a public space to showcase their talent. "There are hardly any festivals that showcase young artists, and the existing ones charge a fee of Rs 1.5-2 lakh per stall. We have not charged them any money."

To give enthusiasts a chance to compare younger artists with established names, both in terms of price and quality, the festival will also exhibit 50 works of respected artists like Jatin Das, Bose Krishnamachari, Vinod Sharma, Prabhakar Kolte, Laxma Goud, Charan Sharma, Arzan Khambatta and Kahini Arte Merchant from their private collections. "We want visitors to see and compare the works for themselves, and note the difference between the younger lot and established artists. This will also help patrons realise that young talent also deserves the applause, and comes a lot cheaper," he adds.

On: From November 25 to 30, 11 am to 10 pm
At: Atria Mall, Worli.
Call: 66251333