Program
TRANSMEDIA ART PROGRAM
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Karighar is a platform for collaboration between traditional and digital artists. It is a space for dialogue which lead to projects that aim to protect, preserve and rejuvenate tactile and traditional forms of artistic expression in this rapidly transforming digitised world.
Why Karighar
The rise of technology as a medium of expression has resulted in a profound alteration of our way of life. The pace of this advancement in recent years has accelerated tremendously, leading to a growing divide between those that managed to migrate into this realm and those that haven’t.
Karighar began as a studio inquiry into the nature of technology as a medium of expression through the lens of its impact on traditional art and craft forms. Through the course of this inquiry, we attempted to relook and rebalance the power equation between technology and its intersection with the art & craft world.
The Sahapedia Film Fellowship
‘Coding with Craft’ is a documentary film on the process of arriving at the KariGhar design program. This film was created by Switch as part of the documentation and supported by the Sahapedia Film Fellowship award to Upasana.
In its first phase, four artisans, Heeraman, Chetan, Maqbool and Bahadur were invited to co -create narratives and develop artwork about their home. We chose 'home' as the provocation because it is is both universal, yet personal. It is the origin of our way of life and the the way we see the world.
Meet the Artist
Bahadur Chitrakar
Patachitra Artist
The story of how the entire family comes together as they forage through the forest in search of organic material they could use to make colors for the pattachitra artwork, became the narrative of home for Bahadur
He painted a scroll that depicted his interpretation of home and his family as they foraged through the forest in search of organic material they could use to make colors out off.
Heeraman Urweti
Gond Artist
Created an artwork that celebrated the bond between husband and wife as the pillars of a home that are inseparable from each other.
The story of Ganesh, Shiva & Parvati became the central motif for the Gond Artwork.
In this artwork, Heeraman drew an abstract elephant with two heads to depict the husband and wife as two inseparable parts that a home that give a home its strength.
Chetan Gangawane
Chitrakathi Artist
As a kid, Chetan used to accompany his dad, Padma shri Parashuram Gangawane to various temples where chitrakathi was showcased in the form of a performance.
An engineer by profession, Chetan gave up his office job to continue and keep this art tradition alive.
Today his conducts offline & online workshops and also runs a local museum where all his and his families artworks are showcased.
Maqbool Jan
Paper mache Artist
His art includes the beautifully painted ornamentation on paper mache boxes, trays, and other items and also extends into metal jugs and glasses as well.
He has been recognised for his amazing artwork through the National Award that he received and has been profiled in multiple publications.
One of his primary laments is that crafts are not given due recognition with certificates like graduation, even though crafts- people spend generations practicing and honing their crafts.
With these artforms, we are exploring ways to leverage technology to contextualize & translate these artworks to life all while keeping the true essence of their craft alive.
We are looking for Digital Artists, UI/UX designers, Motion Designers, Graphic Designers, Illustrators, Design interns, Art festival curators etc along with organisations, institutions & individuals looking to collaborate with us to bring these projects to life.
The Program is incubating 11 Projects which are at various stages of development
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CraftStock
Craftstock is an online platform that aims to bring greater collaboration between the design & craft communities. Traditional craft has always been rooted to a surface - with digitised artworks that are ready to use across platforms - Craftstock brings in a royalty fee model to the artisans as compared to a one time fee.
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Stop Motion Workshops
Designed for kids of Rural Artisans, the workshop introduces kids to stop motion technologies to bring traditional craft to life. The purpose is to bring a new perspective to traditional crafts and create awareness about their unique characters.
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Ronger Gaan: Animated Short
An animated short using patachitra. It revolves around how the patachitra artists family creates the colors that are used to make the artwork. The act of foraging for the ingredients and making the color together by hand is what binds them together and also continues the tradition.
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Giphy Stickers
We’re converting artworks from the craft forms into a series on giphy to create new forms for these traditional arts
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Ronger Gaan: Immersive Experience
An immersive interactive XR experience that bridges the tactile with digital storytelling. It is a journey into the discovery of Home with a family of indigenous artists, called Patuas from India.
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Ludo, Snakes & Ladders
A modern reimagining of the traditional game of Ludo, Snakes & Ladders with Gond and Pattachitra artworks. Designed as a travel friendly game and as a collectors edition
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Shopify AR
We are developing AR formats of traditional artworks for use in shoplift platforms to enable potential customers to imagine them within their space.
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Tulsi & Ma: Animated Short
Animated short based on Chitra Kathi artworks on the theme of Home. The artist depicts a daily ritual of his mother watering the tulsi plant as his interpretation of home
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Bring Tulsi Home
An immersive AR experience that brings the art to life
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Prithvi: Animated Gond Short
Animated short based on Gond artworks on the theme of home
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Hazara : Kashmiri Floral Art Animated Short
The Hazara is a kind of artwork where different flowers are painted together. We are developing an abstract animation short on the emotion of ‘bhaichara’ that imbibes the pluralistic view of different communities living and working together.
Each of the projects are designed to open up alternate marketplaces for the artisans. Funds & grants received by the projects will be used for the development of the program - future earnings are also shared through a royalty based system for the artisans.
Interested in funding some of these projects? Get in touch
Team
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Upasana Nattoji Roy
Transmedia Artist & Animator
Founder Switch Studio
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Kalpana Das
Mentor
Ex Executive director Intercultural Institute of Montreal, Quebec - Canada
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Saurav Roy
Founder Roy Studio
Partner Switch Studio
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Vishpala Naik Hundekari
Advisor
Founder Eki-Beki
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Devika Krishnan
Advisor
Craft based design & business developer
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Hasan S
Advisor
Creative Technologist