This article is sponsored by Asian Paints
A group of students stand in front of a seven-foot wall inside the prayer hall of Jaipur’s Rajasthan Blind Welfare Association School. There is an undeniable enthusiasm in them when discussing the artwork spread on it. The room, which was once only a conference room, has now assumed a new avatar.
At first glance, the students seem surprised by what they see. But if you look closely, you will know that they are blind. Thus the art before them must take on a ‘touch’ form.
Suffice it to say that art is novel in its creation. For one, it asks students to touch it to understand it, thereby disrupting the traditional notion that art needs to be appreciated from a distance. For another, it serves as a means for children to delve deeper into the culture of their state.
Making it a success is the ‘Touch’ project, an initiative launched by Asian Paints and St+Art India Foundation – a platform that contributes to urban regeneration and community living through contemporary urban art projects. This project is based on the fact that art connects people through inexpressible thoughts and feelings.
The stroke of inclusiveness
Why should a disability be required to fully enjoy art?
This thought led Asian Paints and Saint+Art to think in the direction of bringing inclusivity in art.
Together they have brought this idea of ’tangible art’ to life to enable visually impaired children to experience their culture from a whole new perspective. Through Sparsh, the goal is to broaden their young minds to new ways of experiencing art while sharing their pride in the vibrant and cultural heritage of Rajasthan, on which the murals are based.
Giulia Ambrogi, a contemporary art curator and co-founder of the St+art India Foundation, traces the concept of this unique initiative to the pandemic. “We started introducing art in settings where it could bring hope. For example, one of our projects was at a children’s hospital in Noida. We realized the potential of art to transcend linguistic barriers to unite people.”
This got the team thinking about introducing the arts to a more inclusive space. And they say the Rajasthan Blind Welfare Association was ideal to champion this cause. Since 1968, the organization has been working with the visually impaired to help students acquire essential life skills as well as create an environment where they can excel academically.
It was this pursuit of holistic development that attracted the St+Art India Foundation to it, and the project Sparsh was ready to launch.
feel it to believe
The goal of the initiative was to enable children to “interact” with art. This is where the beautiful range of colors and textures by Asian Paints comes in.
Through brilliant strokes of equally rich paint and texture, the school’s prayer hall lays out a fascinating story – one that tells the legacy of Rajasthani culture. A sense of tactility is achieved through Asian Paints’ Royal Play range of textured paints, which transform simple surfaces into tactile language that students can touch and feel.
These textured paints add a new dimension and redefine art, says Amit Singhal, MD & CEO, Asian Paints Limited. “At Asian Paints, we leverage art and creativity to promote inclusiveness in people. Touch represents our value of empathy and sense of creativity. This initiative aims to provide joy and inspiration to visually impaired students through touch and feel. The murals narrate fascinating stories, from the rich heritage of Rajasthan to the indomitable spirit of Helen Keller and are accessible to everyone, especially people who perceive the world differently than we do. Together with St+Art India Foundation, the Sparsh initiative stands as a testament to our commitment to #ArtForAll.”
But what fascinated everyone on the team was the children’s reactions to the tactile arts. Their enthusiasm to learn and experience more about their culture was palpable.
But the wall is only part of the canvas.
If you go outside, you will see huge art murals bond (dye-textile form centered in Rajasthan) combined with Braille. This pair is an attempt to make a tangible and powerful statement of ‘inclusiveness’. In addition, the murals created in the style of Rajasthani artisans allow students to experience a sense of joy and belonging.
Meanwhile, the indoor art museum showcases the amazing craftsmanship of Rajasthan — wooden dollBlue pottery and carpet making – they’re having their moment.
An art workshop nearby showcases artworks created by students during the touch initiative. It is accompanied by Braille text so children can feel the visuals and read about them.
Entering this new field of inclusivity in the arts was not easy. There were many new roads to navigate.
“This is because there is a whole spectrum of things that we normally understand, but are not accessible to blind people. But, there the texture plays a role,” says Giulia, who shares what an “educational experience” the project has been for everyone involved. . “The project required us to ask a lot of questions and really break down what we knew,” she adds.
Everyone who was a part of Project Sparsh reaffirmed the belief that art is a universal language that speaks to the senses and experiences of each individual.
Edited by Pranita Bhat.