The Spirit Remains Unlocked, an art project launched during the lockdown, celebrates the resilience and the unrestrained creative spirit of the artist community. It aims to continue the conversation on art as it reacts, responds and heals. By Sakshi Sharma

Every space

Every race

Seeks today

A safe abode

I am in my haven..... 

My home and my soul.

May be the birds always chirped, I never had the time.

I evoke the memory of the clear skies.

Now that I see it and have the time.

In the muddy pond of dark noises, my mind glows like a white lotus. Spotless and calm, it brings me where I am.

Artist Shuchi Khanna quotes these lines which aptly sum up her state of mind while painting during the lockdown.

When the outside world came to a standstill, we were all forced to reboot, go slow and look within. By the very nature of their profession, artists have already developed this skill and attitude to introspect, reset and innovate, on a daily basis. Like each one of us, they too stayed locked down but certainly unlocked in spirit. If anything, they became even more free with the language of their expression.

 The project — The Spirit Remains Unlocked, conceptualised and curated by The Art Route founder Lubna Sen, launched on the first day of the lockdown, celebrates this resilience and the unrestrained creative spirit of the artist community.

It was launched with 30 artists who remained confined in their respective homes and studios across the country and abroad.

“The concept came intuitively to me. The idea was, art has to go on — for the creator and the beholder. Suddenly, we were all asked to stay at home, go slow and reflect. By the very nature of their work, artists do this every day. I felt here is a section of society from whom we can learn a lot at this time. Also, as a curator and promoter of forthcoming artists, I felt this project could motivate them to live through the uncertainty of the market,” says Lubna.

She further says that the daily online interactions among artists injected a positive spirit. Yes, life and its ups and downs happened to all of us but there was a purpose in life which shielded us from the negative news outside and an end goal which helped us ride through the troughs.

Also, as a student of art history, Lubna shares how the historical context in which art is created has always fascinated her. As chroniclers of their time, artists are always the first responders to a crisis like this. “We are at a pivotal point in history, the effect of which we will see in coming years. There was, hence,  an impulse to capture this snapshot through this project,” adds she.

The artists were asked some common questions to be answered through their works. “The personal journey is imprinted into each of their works — some are more explicit than others. Since I have known most of these artists for years, it was interesting for me to see those deviations in their languages — some subtle, some not so subtle,” says Lubna.

For a few, the pandemic itself served as a subject — be it the virus, the deaths or the plight of the migrants or the silent victims of domestic abuse taken up by feminist artist Nitasha Jaini.

For some, who had no resources available for existing media of practice, this was an opportunity to work on  new media and keep the creativity going. Sculptor Neerajj Mittra  turned to drawings and sketching, printmaker Pranjit Sarma turned into water colours and digital art. Gayatri, who is inspired by the colour of textiles, made use of the only available resource that she had at home — charcoal.

For some, the journey of confusion to peace is very clearly stated in their works, such as Usha’s ceramics. Yet for others, self quarantine is exactly what they needed to focus on their own existing language because the experience re-affirmed their own artistic inquiry.

The paintings give us a glimpse into the artists solitary worlds as they have shared their ongoing works, thoughts, hopes and aspirations. Artist Ritu Aggarwal says, “Art is always a meditation for me as it helps me unclutter my mind. During lockdown, art was the only source to keep my mind stable and positive. Though I was already working, this project gave me the direction and inspiration to do work with more positivity which was really important for me at that moment. It made me realise that the doors can be locked but the spirit is always unlocked.”

Her painting, Silent Spaces, which is one of her favourites too, is very different from her previous works. The pandemic forced her to think about the environment and atmosphere around her which grew cleaner, more peaceful and silent. “Everything seems to be connected with nature and breathable. And this gave me the new theme for my forthcoming works,” adds Ritu.

 Artist Harsh Inder Loomba’s, Nueva Vida, depicts flowers blooming out of the cracks of a wooden log. The idea behind her work was to portray the current happenings and their impact on her and surroundings through colours. “I paint nature and surrealistic figures. Nature has inspired me to move from landscapes to abstraction. I have tried to depict the importance of our bounties through minimalist expressions,” says she.

As she was confined to home, she shares that she would have painted anyway. “Our residential complex was sealed twice, so stepping out of the house was out of the question. This restriction may drive someone insane but being an artist is a blessing as we need solitude to work. We must always be hopeful and create positive energy through our art,” adds Harsh. This “me” time gave her a reason to look within for answers and inspirations. What inspired her to paint amidst these chaotic times was the desire to give full play to her imagination and probably touch the topic of our existence in this world in harmony with nature. 

Painted in acrylic medium, a forest view with medium-sized seven birch trees that have yellowish-green leaves, oval and elliptical in shape, is one of the artist’s finest works created during the project — Birches in Woods. With no horizons, the unknown path seems to lead nowhere and has nobody around to walk over it. There are birds too, but are hard to spot. The trees stand so close that they give a feeling of warmth and unity in nature.

“The birch trees are seven because it is the number of completeness and perfection, both physical and spiritual. The bird which one could miss easily, symbolises freedom and future. For time immemorial, mankind has considered birds to be a sign of eternal life. This work was born after hearing about how nature is reclaiming its space, skies/rivers are clearer and birds are returning. So, it is dedicated to the supremacy and importance of nature in our lives; we have to live in harmony. It is also about hope and a more responsible future by caring for our planet,” says she.

For most of the artists, art is a therapy as it helps you to connect with your inner self and reflect upon the pertaining issues. “It takes me away from the mundane life full of noises. It brings me closer to myself and keeps me sane and happy. It also raises your spirits and helps you evolve as a person,” says artist Shuchi Khanna. She shares that lockdown made her realise the importance of human relationships and encouraged her to declutter her insecurities. Painting is all about expression and to express one needs to feel things. During the process of exploring herself, she realised that this forced slowdown had given her time to reflect on various aspects of life. “My day to day life is hectic. Managing between home, job, art, fitness schedule, I lost out on simple moments of sheer joy of introspecting and doing nothing. This lockdown helped me bounce back to my old natural self. I hope we heal soon from the situation, the panic, the pain and the scare,” says she.

While artist Niloy Sen’s Deadly Game captures the enormity of this global crisis, he says that the atmosphere within the group was positive and creative, with all the participants sharing their thoughts, interactions and experimentation. This inspired him to get up every morning and do a new piece or finish the old one. “Each painting is a creative expression and interpretation of my thoughts. There’s me hiding behind every work,” adds he.

The aim of the project is to continue the conversation on art and provide an ambience where the audience can sit back and enjoy looking at artworks by clicking a button. They can walk through the virtual gallery. “I disagree with the school of thought that this is not the right time to talk about art. We have become so materialistic that we only look at art as an end product, available for purchase and not as an intellectual source of inspiration. In fact, this is the best time to talk about it. Art reacts, responds and heals us in times like these,” says Lubna.

(The artworks will be showcased on theartroute.com from July 5 to August 15.)