‘It Will Be Fine’ – A Collaboration About Hope, Art And Inspiration
A WEQIP Feature
Little did the nine former batchmates from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, realize that a casual conversation in their WhatsApp group would take the form of a lockdown art challenge. Having known each other since 2011, these 9 friends got together (virtually!) to create a piece of unique artwork (in a 3 by 3 grid) illustrating the expression
‘ I TAKE – THIS – SERIOUSLY –
AND I’M – STAYING – HOME –
IT WILL – BE – FINE’
A pertinent message for everyone who is struggling during these unprecedented times!
The Idea
The ‘It will be fine’ collab was a challenge that the group saw on artist Danielle Pioli’s Instagram profile and decided that it was the perfect replacement for their early-April Art Jam get-together which got cancelled as the world was in lockdown.
Since ‘It will be fine’ was planned to be a virtual collaboration, it meant that friends from outside Delhi, who would not have otherwise been able to join the real-time get together, were now able to participate as well!
The Process
A single WhatsApp group, which was initially formed for sharing their ‘Inktober’ progress and which has more than a dozen batchmates, became the common space for all discussions, motivation and appreciation. Since the larger concept was already in place because of the nature of the challenge, nine members who were excited about idea volunteered to draw one grid, each in their unique styles.
The digital nature of the collaboration allowed the artists to work on their own pace over the coming week. One of the members, Nishita, who had initially floated the idea on the group, later put it together with minor colour toning for cohesiveness while retaining the distinctiveness of each style.
The Artworks
Here’s what the artists say about the thought and message behind their respective artworks:
1. Bhaswati (@bhaswatiranu) – I TAKE – With a reference to the lazy ‘panda’ in me, the art piece depicts that ‘I take’ this break from our hectic everyday lives as an opportunity to introspect and seek inner peace.
2. Krishna Priya (@purpleturtle004) – ‘THIS’ seeks to both capture and inspire the bliss of an entire range of everyday monotony.
3. Vishakha (@the_ochre & @vi.shakha13) – Let us all take this ‘SERIOUSLY’ in a ‘not-so-serious’ way, rather make happy memories out of this time, as depicted in the art piece!
4. Aishwarya (@aishwaryatalluri) – ‘& I’M’ – Is a vow to fight these times with a united but also a stand-alone spirit. I, just like the lotus flower that blooms in muddy water, promise myself to turn challenging times into a source of resilience. And taking along one person at a time.
5. Archita (@architagoyal) – ‘STAYING’ as a word resonated with what we’re all supposed to be doing right now, so I wanted to show a positive side of staying at home, with all essentials around us.
6. Nishita (@studio.folklore & @nish.ita)- ‘HOME’ – Instead of looking at the physical space of the home as a place of confinement, I explored the emotional idea of “home” and all the many experiences of our life which have made us feel comfortable and “at home”
7. Ankita (@bhati.ankita) – ‘IT WILL’ indicates the positivity and hope that we must all hold onto and smile through this rough time.
8. Trisha (@__trishadas) – To ‘BE’ is to exist or live in this world, which is a whirlpool of emotions right now. The art piece depicts hope that we will soon exist and thrive in a world full of joy and peace again.
9. Tanvi (@tgoel93) – ‘FINE’ shows that together we shall overcome this difficult time and will conquer it.
Having experienced the joy of this whole process and the beauty of the final outcome, the group is enthusiastic about collaborating again in the future when an idea comes up. And meanwhile, this collaboration acts as a beautiful reminder to all of us that we are separated only by physical distances, while our minds and creativity are still connected with the thread of hope and positivity.
Please note that copyright of the artworks and pictures of the artists is with the respective owners.
We hope you enjoyed reading this feature. In case you want to share a story of hope, resilience and inspiration, please send it to us at write@weqip.com
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