SARA Pro-seed Artist Residency – June 2024 

In Memory of Artist Teacher, the Late Sri Krishna Chhatpar (1936-2022)

Introduction:

The Pro-seed Artist Residency, a pilot initiative hosted at the SARA Centre, aims to inspire a new generation of artists to engage with visual and ecological awareness adequately. We strive to foster creative dialogue to reconnect young artists with the natural world as we face environmental challenges through the rapid depletion of natural resources. The residency provides an opportunity for young artists to innovate and explore ways to promote creative sustainability through stewardship of natural surroundings. We aim to encourage a platform for aspiring artists to engage with inspiring perspectives that provoke critical inquiry and mindful engagement. Through this pilot initiative, we seek to lay the foundation for a vibrant community of artists committed to addressing the pressing environmental issues of our time.

Objectives:

  • Nurture Emerging Talent
  • Cultivate Eco-consciousness
  • Foster community Collaboration
  • Promote Innovation
  • Engage with Local Context

Program Structure:

The four-week residency will provide selected artists with studio space, accommodation, and a stipend. Through mentorship, artist talks, site visits, and open studios, participants will have skill-building, dialogue, and reflection opportunities. Collaboration with local environmental initiatives will further enrich the experience, fostering creativity with a purpose.

Application Process:

Open to Indian artists under 30, intensely interested in exploring ecological themes. Applicants should submit portfolios, a statement of intent, and a project proposal. A committee, along with a representative from SARA, will choose two outstanding artists. 

Location: SARA Centre, Dombekoppa, Karnataka-577412

Duration: June 1st – June 30th, 2024

Grant: Rs 40,000/-

Deadline for application: 10th May 2024

For inquiries and applications, contact email: info.saracentre@gmail.com

About Krishna Chhatpar

Krishna Chhatpar (1936-2022) was an inspired artist and a committed teacher born in Karachi and settled in Vadodara who studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, The M. S. University of Baroda. He taught from the 1960s until his retirement in 1997. He was popularly known as Krishnabhai by his student friends, artist contemporaries, and colleagues.  His interests and approach remained creative, practical, humane, and modernist, as are his ideas of art and imparting instructions. He earned the enviable love and respect of some dedicated students of the Baroda School and turned a destination for higher education in the fine arts. 

Krishna Chhatpar had a distinctive approach to teaching art. He tailored his teaching methods to suit each student’s personality, nurturing their artistic faculties. His teaching philosophy was deeply rooted in the love and understanding of nature and people. He encouraged students to observe their surroundings attentively, thereby instilling an appreciation for the intrinsic beauty and complexity inherent in the natural world. He strived to employ the necessary methodologies to form a strong foundation for an artistic way of life. 

His pedagogical ethos was way beyond the formalistic approaches of his time. He encouraged his students to reason and find the multiplicity of our world. His approach to art was consistently humanistic, compassionate, generous and progressive. Krishna Chhatpar’s legacy lives on in the countless artists and art teachers he inspired and nurtured throughout his career since 1973. Dhruva Mistry, G. Ravinder Reddy, Trupti Patel, Arunkumar H.G., Debashish Bhattacharya, Mayur Gupta, Ashok Patel, Zaida Jacob and many others. 

About SARA Centre:

SARA(Sustainable Alternative for Rural Accord) Centre is a community-led platform that brings together various stakeholders, including visual artists, theatre activists, environmentalists, farmers, students, and teachers. It is located in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region and serves as a hub for converging ideas and understanding the local ecological system.

With a firm belief in the transformative power of visual arts, we empower youth to assume leadership roles, fostering impactful projects and compelling narratives that resonate deeply within the community. Through initiatives such as the Akshata rice seed bank, food forest cultivation, lake rejuvenation, and the Sahyadri Samvada exhibition, we promote collective ownership of our environment, inspiring engagement in environmental conservation and sustainable living practices. Projects like Roots-Natural, Manmade Heritage and Sahyadri Samvada aim to educate and empower the younger generation to appreciate their environment and undertake resilient actions amidst evolving landscapes.”

For more details about SARA, visit http://www.saracentre.org