If last year,all the hullabaloo was about carpets,this year People For Animals,has moved on to mugs. But these mugs arent your ordinary beverage containers. These are quite the masterpieces. The collection includes gold and silver rimmed porcelain mugs that feature artwork by Indian artists. This time,we wanted to broaden the audience base and bring art into everyday,practical use. Mugs are a wonderful way to do this, explains Maneka Gandhi,chairperson of PFA. Gandhi adds that this is an innovative way to make it more accessible and affordable. The collection includes work of top 50 artists,ranging from Raja Ravi Varma,the father of calender art in India,to Jamini Roy,known for his Kalighat pat style,and mordenist FN Souza to contemporaries like Arpita Singh,Paramjit Singh and Paresh Maity. Although mugs are a part of everyday use,both at home and in office,there is no need for them to be everyday in terms of design. What weve created are not just beautiful mugs,but intrinsically valuable art collectibles that will enhance the experience of your daily cuppa, says Gandhi. This exhibition will be launched in the Capital on August 19 and will continue over the next two days. The Master Collection has a limited edition of a hundred pieces and there lies its value. The collection has already been uploaded on the PFA website,www.peopleforanimalsindia.org All the proceeds of the event will go towards building animal shelters in Mysore and Ghaziabad. Gandhi promises that similar innovative and affordable art-based collections that will benefit both art lovers and animals will continue to be a part of PFAs forthcoming initiatives.
