Security Worker to Microbiologist: Delhi Women Trying To Make Art Accessible

The exhibition features the work of nine women artists, but not all of them do this professionally.

As Planterie hosts an exhibition of art made across different mediums, The Quint visited the studio and met with some of the artists on the opening night of the week-long show.

(Photo: Garima Sadhwani/The Quint)

Farial Sabrina, founder of the art studio Planterie, had been feeling a certain disconnect with nature as someone living in a metropolis. This isolation from nature wasn’t unique to her, though. In a conversation with The Quint, Sabrina says that she decided to curate a week-long “art festival” called Art and Nature in The Metropolis to bridge this gap.

“I wanted to create a space where artists could display their work, inspire people, and bring together many different mediums together – combining tradition and modernity,” says Sabrina.

And so she curated an exhibition featuring the work of nine women artists, not all of whom do this professionally but are driven by their passion for it.

Veenita Dar, a microbiologist, who has displayed her watercolour art at the show, left her full-time job when she turned 54 to focus on “what really makes me happy and brings me peace."

Dar says, “The thing with watercolour painting is that it's very unpredictable, you never know how it turns out on paper. But it’s a very calming and soothing medium for me because of how transparent and light it is. The subtle colours and soft florals inspire me to create.”

Deepika Yadav, who mostly dabbles in paper quilling and handicrafts, works as a security personnel in Delhi. Up until a few months ago, she never thought of herself as an artist.

But when she was asked to help decorate the office bulletin board, she realised this was something she was good at. Yadav tells The Quint, “My boss saw my work and told Farial ji about it, and she gave me this opportunity to present my art here.”

Akshita Jain, who has showcased her texture art at the exhibition, agrees with the others. To have a space where you can just be with your art is something to cherish, she says.

She adds that for her, art is the medium through which she brings out her minimalist side. “I use different kinds of mediums to create my art. But the key element is always shadow work. My work is monotone, but the play of light makes it come alive."

For other artists, like Manju Kumar who usually works with ceramics, the inspiration to create comes from the fact that she wants to show everyone just how beautiful our cultural heritage is. This is why her pottery and clay work largely depicts art you’d find in old temples.

But mostly, it’s a passion for art and experimenting that drives each of these women, says Vandana Jindal, a corporate employee who has displayed her needle and knot craft at the exhibition. Sabrina tells The Quint, “I wanted to make art more accessible to people in a way that ours is not a gallery where people who don’t know a lot about art might feel intimidated. They can just walk in here, look at art, and appreciate it for however they want to interpret it.”

In a little corner of south Delhi, artist and entrepreneur Farial Sabrina's Planterie – plant, art, tea – studio stands apart in a lane of gyms and dental clinics.

As Planterie hosts an exhibition of art made across different mediums, The Quint visited the studio and met with some of the artists on the opening night of the week-long show.