Wine Glasses Aand Rolling Pins

Her canvas is Manjot Kaurs diary,a space where she communicates using both colour and text.

Her canvas is Manjot Kaurs diary,a space where she communicates using both colour and text. The first-year MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) student from the Government College of Art paints with abandon,and her themes vary from wine glasses to youth culture,to flowers and cities. I used to write a diary and also sketch alongside. So when I started painting,I decided to include words as well on the canvas. Not just words,sometimes numbers also convey my convictions, says Kaur,who is among 10 young artists selected for a one-year scholarship by Chandigarhs Lalit Kala Akademi.

With catchphrases such as Say Cheers,Dont Ask Me,this young painter believes she needs to say what she has created. The scholarship endorses my experiments with form,shape and colour. And of course,I can splurge on the material with the money I get, she says.

Then there is Gagan Deep Kaur,another recipient of the scholarship,who celebrates her tryst with tradition. From small-town Fazilka to Chandigarh,its been a huge transition for her,all for arts sake. She is studying sculpture (fourth year) at the College of Art. Punjabifolk art is the main theme of her sculptures and clay and terracotta are her favourite mediums.

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My work is an expression of my love for my roots,rich heritage and culture, says Gagan,adding that the scholarship will help her buy expensive material such as metal and stone,and enable her to explore more.

The scholarship (Rs 36,000 per year) is named after renowned personalities from the world of art Rabindranath Tagore,Amrita Shergill,Dr MS Randhawa,Le Corbusier,Manjit Bawa to list a few. The programme is part of the Akademis efforts to promote and encourage art and culture in the region. We aim to promote research and quest for individual signatures by young artists in their respective fields, says Akademi chairman Diwan Manna.

Experimenting with new mediums,a fresh approach to subjects and an openness to assimilate new materials in painting or sculpture makes these youngsters worthy of this scholarship, Manna adds.

For most of these young artists,the scholarship not only is an extra edge,but also a chance to experiment with new materials since they can use this money to buy what they couldnt otherwise.

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For example,Robin Singh,an MFA final-year student whos working with the new media art,says he will use the scholarship money to buy original machine parts for installations. I am working on a series which combines painting and movement,where I intend to use these machine parts so that people can feel movement and sensation in my works, he says.

Majoring in sculpture,Naresh Kumar,a second-year arts student,uses a combination of paper and fibre to create elements that he has seen in his village belan (rolling pin),chimta,chulha et al. I am recreating a kitchen wall on a piece of paper. The process is challenging and is purely hit and trial. The scholarship supports and endorses my effort to look at new ways to create art,without any barriers and inhibitions, he says.

Another arts student Lakhwinder Singh,who is working on print-making projects using both digital and manual techniques,also acknowledges how this scholarship will help him define his work. I dont have tools to experiment,this money will help me tide over that crisis, he says.

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Wine Glasses Aand Rolling Pins

Her canvas is Manjot Kaurs diary,a space where she communicates using both colour and text.

Her canvas is Manjot Kaurs diary,a space where she communicates using both colour and text.