Creativity, livelihood, togetherness – Baro Art’s Srila Chatterjee on the importance of art

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 925 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

Mumbai-based Baro Market recently hosted its exhibition, aptly titled ‘Affordable Art’, at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC). The platform curates and sells fashion, home goods, art, fabrics, crafts, and more (see Part I of our photo essay here).

Baro Art has had 12 Affordable Art shows in locations across India this year. Around 80 artists are listed on their website, with well over 2,000 artworks on offer.

“Our affordable art show has been very well received in Bengaluru. We had considerably higher sales than the previous year, which suggests that more and more people are interested in what we have on offer,” Srila Chatterjee, Founder of Baro Market, tells YourStory.

Many long conversations with visitors and buyers revealed that the organisation’s approach to art was greatly appreciated. “The range and depth of what we have is a big draw, and the very easy and comfortable atmosphere that allows for dialogue is a plus,” she adds.

Chatterjee also shares her views on art and design. “I don’t look for meaning in art. It hits me in the right spot, and I love the way it makes me feel,” she enthuses.

“I don’t really see many differences between art, design and craft, except for the functional aspect. The lines are really blurred, and that makes the whole world richer,” she says.

She sees art as a breath of fresh air. “Art is a pause, and a very personal and private space to rest. Art is also a public way to bring people together and break down walls and barriers,” Chatterjee observes.

Art can help have conversations, and need not be only about arguments. “Art helps to heal, and it opens minds. All of these are essential in a world so riven by strife,” she says.

As for her hobbies, Chatterjee is a voracious reader. “I travel with great hunger. I follow certain sports with a passion. I eat and drink with relish, and I spend some of the best times in my life with my dogs,” she describes.

She calls for more art appreciation in India through education and exposure. “Art should be something that children are first introduced to. We need art syllabi in education,” she suggests.

More public museums are needed, with a high level of curation. “We need art to be highlighted as a really important area of knowledge,” she advises.

An artist's journey is full of ups and downs, obstacles and challenges. “Research, trials, and going to an expert for help all seem to be the right ways for artists to move ahead,” Chatterjee suggests, as tips for resilience.

A good gallerist would also be a suitable mentor for artists in such situations. “Artists may examine success through the lens of appreciation or sales. Art is not always created for commercial reasons, and thus it is the artist’s own criteria and standards that can decide what success or failure is,” she explains.

She offers words of encouragement for artists as well. “Don’t give up! Open your mind and your world to as much as you can, so that what you create will have greater depth,” Chatterjee signs off.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at BIC.)