CHENNAI: Chennaiyil Oar Oviya Sangamam is back with its third edition after two successful events and is all set to paint the city with vibrant colours. The event features over 470 artists from across the country and is claimed to have the highest number of exhibitors at an art and crafts event. “We have participants from Tamil Nadu, Qatar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, and Telangana. This includes artists aged 4 to 80. The ultimate aim of this event is to make Chennai an art hub like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai,” says Selvakannan Rathinam, organiser.
Last year, there were 11,000 footfalls even with an entry fee. This time, however, entry is free, and the team expects an even larger crowd. Many art academies and schools are also participating in the event. The range of works on display includes canvas paintings, sculptures, coconut shell artworks, and much more.
“With each passing year, we are trying to scale up and provide a space for budding artists to showcase their work. This platform is also great for networking, allowing both aspiring and established artists to learn from one another,” adds the founder of SK’s The Lines & Curves and Indian Art Factory. One of the senior artists in Tamil Nadu, MA Sankaralingam, has been passionate about art from a very young age. At Chennaiyil Oar Oviya Sangamam, he will be showcasing around 30 of his artworks. “I have tried my hand at various media, including optical illusion and hyperrealistic paintings, among others.” He has created around 102 optical illusion paintings. His works also include double-sided artworks and 360-degree paintings.
With no limits to creativity, Sankaralingam has reimagined Indian monuments in global settings, such as placing the Taj Mahal at Niagara Falls. Immerse yourself in the world of art at Chennaiyil Oar Oviya Sangamam, set to take place at St. George School Campus, Wings Open Ground, Shenoy Nagar, on February 22, from 9 am to 6 pm. Entry is free.
As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Arena Animation Vadapalani organised a one-day art exhibition on Saturday. “We conduct an exhibition every two years. However, this year was special. Along with sculptures and traditional paintings, we also showcased digital art created by our students. The focus was purely on art, not on any particular medium. Students were free to choose the medium that best expressed their creativity. We didn’t set a theme; we simply wanted to celebrate the artistic talent and imagination of our students,” said Dhinaharan from Arena Animation.
He added that confining creativity to a single theme did not always bring out the best in artists. “When students were given complete freedom, they produced their most authentic work. This year’s exhibition featured 20 sculptures, 10 paintings and 15 digital artworks,” he said, adding that Poyyamozhi served as the mentor for the showcase.
Arena Animation has a total of 100 students and 20 of them had the opportunity to display their works at the exhibition.