Bengaluru rolls out the canvas for cartoon fest

A glimmer of humour, they say, can help one survive even a tough situation. From the daily dose of comic relief to being a democratic art form that is cognitively responsive to the contemporary state of affairs, cartoon-making has already carved a niche for itself in today’s world. A satirical skill that was earlier practised by a handful of visual artists alone is now seeing a resurgence among common people, who maybe pursuing different professions, but have a knack for drawing and a nose for news. Bengaluru sets the stage for an initiative that not only aims to bring cartoonists and caricature artists from across the state to the fore, but also inculcate this craft among youngsters. Bangalore Times examines the scope of the art form and gives you a sneak peek into the habba, which is happening in the city for the first time…Helping kids to express betterProfessional cartoonist Satish Acharya — who is spearheading the upcoming Cartoonu Habba, which forms part of the Nammoora Habba, in the city — says, “We decided to conduct the Bengaluru edition of the habba, after receiving an overwhelming response from people in Coastal Karnataka, particularly Kundapur. More than just a workshop or an exhibition, this event is an endeavour to make children more alert about current affairs and socially relevant topics and help them reflect on happenings through the strokes of humour. Apart from encouraging kids to inculcate the habit of reading news every day, we are guiding them to become expressive and articulate in their drawings and writings. And thus, helping them to become better citizens.” A notch better than simple adult colouring books and other such tools, particularly in terms of magnificence and mindfulness, cartoons have the power to simply and lend a perspective to an otherwise complex situation. Thanks to graphic novels and comic/graphic journalism, the global concept about this art form has also improved. “There is a lot of joy in making cartoons and transforming thoughts into images. It is a great stress-buster too,” Satish says. A positive trendWhen it comes to exposure and significance, cartoons have been lagging behind paintings and photographs that are often seen adorning the walls of big galleries. Despite being a relevant and appealing art form, its scope seems to be limited to newspapers and magazines, and a few art spaces. “Such initiatives can help to bring the focus back on the practice of caricature making and encourage more people to explore the art form,” says noted cartoonist Prakash Shetty.Female cartoonists come to the foreA positive trend, according to Satish, is steadily setting its foot in this sphere — female artists are increasingly showing interest in this art form, so much so that some of them are even considering it as a full-time profession. “Caricatures, particularly political cartoons, have been an integral part of journalism for ages. However, practicing this art form is still regarded as more of a hobby or a part-time activity than a serious profession. But again, times are changing now and so are people’s mindsets. Besides, kids, freelancers and seasoned artists, a lot of women cartoonists are coming into the scene. It does not matter whether or not one comes from an art background. A receptive mind and the manner in which one cultures and curates one’s thought process are the factors that matter,” he adds.From sketches to caricaturesSujatha Kamath — a PU student who has been participating and winning prizes at the Maya Kamath Memorial Awards Contest for Excellence in Cartooning for the past three years — says, “Initially, I only used to make drawings, then started with caricatures. To make cartoons, one needs to be observant and artistically imaginative. I would like to continue exploring this field of work even later in life.”Kundapur connectKundapur boasts a thriving cartooning scene, when compared with other parts of the state. Not only the coastal region has a sizeable number of caricature artists who are engaged in a host of editorial assignments and other freelancing activities, there is an increasing curiosity to delve more into the art form and render a personal touch to it. “The gramin bhashe spoken in the remote areas of the region has a humorous tone to it, which serves as an interesting theme when translating words into artworks,” says Satish.Highlights of the habba