A city-based start-up seeks to foster Indian folk arts through a community built around accessible art, artist collaborations and AI-enabled avatars
Vibrant handpainted Bhil and Gond artworks adorn the walls of the office in Fort. Pics/Anurag Ahire
For years, Indian art has been integral to our daily lives. From household objects and paintings to patterns on sarees, and even geometric rangolis, we have been passive consumers of Indian art in diverse forms. For Rooftop, a four-year old start-up, the effort has been to translate this resurging interest in folk art to the digital space as well as through experiential workshops to make it more accessible to the Gen Z. On a weekend, we pop in for a visit to their Fort office to witness the whole array of vibrant Indian paintings and interior décor objects that set the tone for their ongoing projects.
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Sonica Sunderram (in white) and Janhavi Mallapur play a game of phatak
As we are ushered into the office space, a brightly coloured mask catches our eye. Janhavi Mallapur, an artist and member of the creative operations team, explains that the mask is a classic specimen of Cheriyal, an indigenous art form from the state of Telangana. Alongside the mask is a Kerala fresco-style mural of Hanuman made on bamboo wood. “Most Indian art forms are inspired by Hindu mythology, regional folklore or the daily life of local communities. The way they are drawn and painted differs from region to region and reflects the cultural temper of the area,” Mallapur explains while taking us through their collection. She shows us artworks including an intricately dotted Bhil painting from Madhya Pradesh made by Padmashree Bhuri Bai, and a pair of puppets carved in mango wood by Rajasthan-based artist Pappu Bhat.
The AI model of Bhuri Bai
As we slowly take in the colourful vibe of the small office, we are introduced to the app which houses course modules by 50 master artists from Rajasthan, Kerala, Bihar and Maharashtra among other states. These modules allow participants to learn and practice many of these ancient art forms over the internet. “In 2019, our company, Rajasthan Studio was curating walkthroughs of workshops of indigenous artists who have been practising the art form for generations. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we decided to extend such experiences to the digital medium in 2021 to make heritage art more accessible to people,” founder Kartik Gaggar reveals. Initially starting as a seed investor, Gaggar transitioned towards arts after taking inspiration from his familial roots in Rajasthan and the rich culture of folk art in the state to curate experiences which bring together artists from all over the country on a single platform.
An AI model of Bhil artist Bhuri Bai answers our questions
Gauging an increasing demand for experiential learning post-pandemic, especially among millennials and Gen Z, Gaggar and his team collaborated with artists to curate master classes, quizzes and interactive activities to devise a holistic learning experience. On the app we come across several interesting features such as the interactive ArtificiaI Intelligence models of the artists that can answer queries through voiced inputs. “The idea is to foster an ecosystem where curiosity meets with expertise and experience while also ensuring fair remuneration for the artists who are the flag bearers of our rich cultural diversity,” Gaggar shares.
The books contain paintings of the art forms along with practice sheets and exercises
Divided into the elementary, intermediate and advanced, the courses outline a detailed history of the art form and the artist’s practice, along with exercises to educate participants about the art at its basic level. “We also have books designed to provide visual cues along with postcards, and a pack of cards called Phatak to make the learning experience fun,” Sonica Sunderram, senior content writer explains.
A Kerala mural fresco-style painting of Lord Hanuman; a Cheriyal-style mask
With plans to open art-based experiences for all Mumbaikars, the start-up will bring together 75 artists from different pockets of the city, specialising in various domains such as papier mache, resin painting and wood carving in the coming months through sessions that can be booked on theapp.
A pair of puppets carved on mango wood by Pappu Bhat
They also plan to conduct workshops and classes at various venues in the city that will open up the space for children as well as adults interested in learning about the art forms. “We want to curate hyperlocal experiences for people and nurture an art-conscious community,” Gaggar concludes.
Available: Rooftop on Google Playstore and App Store
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