Teesta Bhandare talks about how this book seeks to help cope with the stress exacerbated by an unforeseen pandemic, especially at a time when mental health has rightly entered the mainstream conversation

The Indian Artist Book of Colour is a colouring book for both adults and children. During the past years ‘colour therapy’ has gained traction as a means of stress release. The current global uncertainty and influx of ‘bad news’ has increased the psychological burden faced by most people. This is why I came up with the idea to collaborate with artists to create a unique colouring book to tackle the excess pressure on mental health during this time, while also allowing people to engage with contemporary Indian artists.

 

The book features works by 15 artists, 12 of whom created new works for this project. It includes maestros like Sakti Burman, Maite Delteil and Jagannath Panda as well as emerging artists like Pallavi Singh, Tarini Sethi and Charuka Singh.

There are also works by artists who are making waves globally in galleries from New York to Venice: Gigi Scaria and Dhruvi Acharya. In spite of the varying years of experience and practice, a factor that all these artists have in common is that they try to express social concerns with their practice.

Veer Munshi, for instance, frequently touches upon his experience in exile after he fled his home state of Kashmir in the wake of political turmoil. Kanchan Chander celebrates the strength of women and Pallavi Singh discusses the fluidity of gender roles through her main subject, the meterosexual man.

The book includes works by Gagan Singh, famous for his drawings and cartoons, which are ideal for colouring. The selection of artists allows donors a chance to engage with artists from across the spectrum, whether it is someone whose career you have been following for years or discovering a new favourite. The PDF format of the book also allows viewers from across the world to access it and gain a better understanding of contemporary Indian art.

All the proceeds from the sale of this book are donated directly to Goonj, an Indian NGO that engages in a wide range of ‘dignity building’ activities, including disaster relief, projects for the education of girls, the provision of basic necessities for those affected by COVID-19, relief to migrant worker and sanitation.

The donation process is fairly simple. After making a minimum donation of Rs 500 to www.goonj.org/donate, donors need to send a receipt of the donation, indicating the amount donated to contact@teestabhandare.com. Donors will then receive a downloadable PDF copy of the book in their inbox.

At a time when mental health has rightly entered the mainstream conversation, this book seeks to help cope with the stress exacerbated by an unforeseen pandemic. Equally, it reminds all of us what it is that makes us human: an ability to connect, to find links, to reach out as a crucial link in the m