28 July,2022 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
On a rainy day, a kid at Dadar struggles to see beyond the raincoat hood as his guardian carries his school bag
Every day, the vapid trolling on Twitter is consistently fought with one thing - our fair share of pawsome news. Adding to that joy, Bipin Kumar Singh (in pic), commissioner of police, Navi Mumbai, shared a picture of Rambo, their youngest explosive sniffer on his social media handle. Rambo, the labrador pup, will be trained to assist their bomb detection and disposal squad when he completes six months. The department that has two older sniffer dogs - Jack and Simba - is allowing the two-month-old to enjoy his indulgent belly rub days at the Kalamboli police headquarters.
Niti Patel's Disney shadow box
Shadow boxes were originally realised within the limits of military service. They meant shallow boxes in which retired sailors carried their memorabilia ashore. Fashion stylist Niti Apurva Patel (inset), who finds her creative keeda in modern crafts, will be re-introducing shadow boxes at a workshop in Doolally, Khar.
Patel shared, "I encourage participants to express their private vision of something significant. It could be anything. The session will start with a brief introduction to the art style, but it will primarily focus on one's artistic expression." The Santacruz-resident added that this is not just an opportunity for those who have been touted as creative. Those who aren't too certain about their inspired musings, can also head to doolally.in for the event.
Artwork by Jamini Roy
Anybody who is familiar with Jamini Roy's brand of art will notice Bengal's folk traditions unfold in his simple yet resplendent strokes. However, most books and monographs on the master artist follow the album format where little is shared about the person and his ideologies. Jamini Roy, A Painter Who Revisited the Roots by Anuradha Ghosh (Niyogi Books) deviates from this overused format and presents a written study of Roy, the person.
Anuradha Ghosh
About the book, Ghosh said, "It is important to see and know him as a human being, too, as he was so closely attached with his artistic self. His work and his life were ingrained in one another. He has been criticised for a mural collection that was also created by his family." She reckoned if Roy is being recognised for his folk style, it's only natural that his technique will also echo folk practices as an entire household is involved in creating folk art.
Ever since it was established in 2004, Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) has put the spotlight on emerging young artists from different fields. For their 2023 edition, the Toto Awards has set up a new category - digital art - in memory of the late artist Mehlli Gobhai, in addition to their existing categories - creative writing in English, photography, creative writing in Kannada, and short film. Managing trustee Sarita Vellani shared that it was introduced after writer, translator and critic Jerry Pinto, one of the trustees of Mehlli Gobhai's Estate, approached them. "We settled on digital art because although it is a growing field in India, there is little encouragement or recognition given to young artists. For now, we'll be making only one annual award under this category, restricted to digitally drawn or created still images." They are inviting artists to apply for the different categories by September 15. "TFA was established as a public charitable trust in memory of my son Angirus Toto Vellani, who passed away in a tragic accident. The aim was to encourage emerging young artists, as Toto was passionate about music, literature and film," shared Vellani. Head to totofundsthearts.blogspot.com to apply.
Lubaina Bandukwala (third from right) with teachers from Mumbai. PIC/INSTAGRAM
The Jane Goodall Institute in India that was founded as part of the primatologist's global community of conservation recently launched a project on ocean literacy. Oceans Are Us, helmed by executive director Shweta Khare Naik, will see leaders devise strategies to create awareness about the impact of ocean pollution. Author Lubaina Bandukwala is facilitating this project along with other city-based educators. She told this diarist, "The institute found that although we are aware that oceans support life, our knowledge about these water bodies is stunted. I will be developing education programmes so the youth can identify problems and find solutions."
