Roshni Vyam
Artist Roshni Vyam was born into the Gond community in Madhya Pradesh. “As wall paintings in our homes, the traditional Gond art was a huge part of our lives,” she tells us, adding, “I think the art form is closely interlinked with nature and helps us stay in touch with the environment.” The artist, who studied textile design at NIFT Bengaluru, incorporates Gond art into her canvas pieces and even creates fabric prints.
“When I initially came to Bengaluru, I was hesitant to showcase my art, because people didn’t even know what Gond paintings are. But it was my mother, a Gondi storyteller, who told me to never lose my link with my roots,” she confesses. Through her art, Roshni wants to try to get people to reconnect with nature and also try to revive the indigenous art form. The motifs and depictions of animals, trees and birds in her work are strong voices for sustainability and conservation. She has also co-authored a graphic novel, Bhima-yana and has travelled with her canvasses to USA, London and beyond. She is currently working on a new collection of canvasses and will be travelling to Paris for an upcoming project. Details: natureinfocus.in/author/
Sangeetha Kadur
Sangeetha Kadur’s introduction to the natural world happened when she was still a child. “My family was always interested in the environment, specifically in wildlife. My dad was an entomologist and my brother was quite serious about bird watching, so I was always drawn to it,” recalls Sangeetha. But when she chose to pursue her studies in fine arts, little did she know that she would eventually become a full-time wildlife artist who would go on to work on several projects, series and books, the latest one being Every Tree Counts by Pratham Books, which gives children an introduction to trees.“I never thought I would end up as a wildlife artist, but while I was in college, I took up bird watching seriously and other senior bird watchers would show me wildlife art books. That’s how I got interested,” says Sangeetha, who after graduation, bagged a project to create a mural at a jungle lodge in Bandipur National Park. Since then, she hasn’t looked back. More recently, she was commissioned by Texas-based Gorgas Science Foundation to work on The Hummingbirds - Vol 1, a book that celebrates the beauty and diversity of hummingbirds.
When she is not busy with her art, Sangeetha is involved in various other green initiatives. She is one of the co-founders of Neralu Tree Festival in Bengaluru. She holds outdoor workshops on wildlife illustration. “Each person has a different approach to conservation. Mine is through art. People have become very busy and hardly get to know the outdoors. Through my work, I try to bring them closer to the natural world,” she says. Details: natureinfocus.in/author/
Roshan Netalkar
A blue calf made of recycled material, a peacock painted on an old synthetic cloth, a life-size horse made with old gunny sacks and jute twines and many such upcycled art installations and works caught the attention of music lovers at the Echoes of Earth festival in Bengaluru last year. It was a first-of-its-kind event where everything tangible was made with things that are considered waste — old saris, packing wood, cartons and the like. A brain child of Roshan Netalkar, festival director and founder of Swordfish Events and Entertainment Ltd, the second edition of the festival will be held in November this year.
Having been in the events business for over a decade, Roshan thought of Echoes of Earth to set an example by generating as little waste as possible. “Our philosophy is reuse and recycle, so 80 per cent of the installations are made from waste products. We have a dedicated team to research and implement,” he says. While last year the theme of the festival was ‘urban waste management and water’, this year, the theme is ‘bugs of the ecosystem.’ “We had a robust waste management system last year and it was a no-plastic festival. Not even one flex was printed. Water was provided in glass bottles from filters available at the venue. This year, we are working with artists on installations of bugs and the performance spaces are going to be insect-inspired. Insects are an integral part of the system and pollination is critical to our survival,” explains Roshan. While they are trying to bring about awareness through art, Roshan’s team is working on test runs of the electrical equipment, which will be powered by solar energy. Details: echoesofearth.com