On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Global South Asian Studies department hosted “Kalā Sangam: A Celebration of Indian Art” in Fisk Hall, where members of the community learned about several Indian art styles.
Kalā Sangam was the brainchild of Hindi-Urdu Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Dhara Kanchan.
“It took me three weeks to plan and create everything, to discuss how it would go,” Kanchan said. “I was so busy. I also had to teach students, and then I also audited and took some classes. I was just getting four to five hours [of] sleep and [I was] always planning the event. I wanted it to be really fruitful.”
Kalā Sangam is a combination of two Sanskrit words meaning art and confluence, respectively. Kanchan chose this title to reflect the variety of the event, which showcased five Indian art forms: Madhubani, art based on motifs such as fish, peacocks, the sun, and the moon, using natural dyes and pigments to depict mythological scenes typically; Lippan, traditional mud and mural art used to decorate the interior and exterior walls of circular houses; Mandala, art with geometric patterns that radiate outward from a central point; block printing, art handcarved onto wooden blocks by natural dyes; and Warli, art with figures using only four geometric shapes.
Once students and faculty assembled, Kanchan played a video explaining each art form and its history.
“I wanted to show them the rich art culture in India, [and] how it is practiced,” Kanchan said. “Since we are practicing [these art forms] on contemporary objects, I showed them how originally in India it is practiced on mud houses, on walls, on houses in tribal regions, and on cloths.”
Attendees of the event expressed appreciation for the context provided by the video.
“Learning about the different art styles in the video that we watched was really cool,” Alex Blacker ’27 said. “I was definitely recognizing pieces of art that I know of the different styles, around either my grandparents’ house or around campus and other places.”
Attendees found Kalā Sangam a relaxing and colorful environment.
“It was a really good experience, a hands-on experience,” Amal Mallick ’27 said. “Interacting with everyone, doing art together, was my favorite part because it’s not an activity you get to do often. I think it was a great way to learn and de-stress at the same time.”
In addition to the art, students enjoyed a variety of Indian snacks and drinks, such as samosas.
“The food was good, the samosas were great,” Blacker said.
“It was my first event, and I was so nervous,” Kanchan said. “I did not know how it would go, but it went so well. So many people came. The snacks were perfect. Everything was so good. And I’m really grateful.”
Kanchan added that she will be organizing several more events this semester, including Bollywood movie night, henna art, rangoli, and an event for International Education Week in November.
“Apart from being the Hindi Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, I am also the cultural ambassador,” Kanchan. “So I think I should bring the Indian culture out there to the world.”
Spencer Landers can be reached at sklanders@wesleyan.edu.
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