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Journalism of Courage
On September 11,a mammoth hand-cut paper chandelier named The Light created by 8,000 children from a leading educational NGO named Pratham,and Saanjhi artisans of Mathura will go under the hammer in London at a fund-raising event called ARTiculate,with the aim of gathering funds for the education of underprivileged children in India.
The design of this installation was inspired by the work that Pratham has been doing in India for 10 years. It began with the simple idea of achieving an extraordinary result by bringing together many ordinary elements which at some point of time has made a small difference in the lives of Prathams children or their parents, said Sanjib Chatterjee,co-founder of Kaaru,the Delhi-based design firm that was roped in by Pratham UK for the design.
The process began in 2007,when the children from 15 states sat down to create drawings on flame-retardant papers,which were hand-cut by master artisans of the Saanjhi craft the traditional Indian art of paper cutting transforming them in to individual paper screens.
The 10 feet high installation consumed over 20,000 square feet of paper and took 10 months to complete. The screens were assembled in the form of a hanging inverted pyramid,to be suspended from the ceiling and lit from within,creating a monumental glowing centerpiece for the event. It showcases the handiwork of the children prominently for such a high-profile event, said Rukmini Banerjee,director,Pratham India. The installation was created three years ago but it couldnt be shipped,so the auction is being conducted now, shared Banerjee. The auction will be conducted by flamboyant independent auctioneer Charlie Ross at the Old Billingsgate Market,London on September 11. Besides,the chandelier two sets of floor installations and a series of hand-painted bamboo stems and painted alphabets using different traditional Indian handicrafts and methods will also be auctioned at the event.
Lending a decadent touch to the event would be several members of Indias swish set. We believe that education is the fundamental right of every child. Through this event,we will unite Indias most prolific art exponents to support quality education for the underprivileged, shared Ajay Piramal,Chair of Trustees,Pratham.
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