Open Canvas, an initiative by high school student Anika Somaia, engages with local communities, non-profits, artists and galleries
An opportunity in 2019 to transform the wall of a government school in Sarojini Nagar, New Delhi, led to high-school student Anika Somaia’s public art initiative called Open Canvas that has now transformed 50 sites across the capital city with art murals and social messages. Envisioned as a means of democratising art by bringing it outside of the galleries and shedding the otherwise high-brow approach to things, Somaia has since worked with over 200 volunteers as she navigated through slums and other public spaces, negotiated with home-owners to use their walls, collaborated with non-profits and artists, and engaged with children.
“The project seemed to take on a life of its own and with each wall painted, an opportunity to paint somewhere else came up. People began to stop and watch the painting happen, then they wanted to participate and then offered up their own walls. That’s when I realised that this project that started out as just one mural could have a real impact,” recounts Somaia. But her plans are tall as she hopes to take the project across India, engage with government agencies, non-profits, artists and galleries alike.
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Anika Somaia’s public art initiative called Open Canvas that has now transformed 50 sites across the capital city with art murals and social messages.
What was the idea behind starting the Open Canvas project? Could you tell us how you implement it?
It all started with my first experience of public art creation, at a government school in Sarojini Nagar [in New Delhi]. The principal, who was at the end of her last year at this school, had wanted to leave behind something beautiful on the front wall. When I heard about the opportunity through the NGO Each One Teach One, my head began buzzing with ideas. I spent the next week in a flurry of anticipation as I rallied to organise a scaffolding, paint, rollers, hand sanitiser, slingshots (to scare away monkeys)–and work with a college art student on a mural design. The week after that, I lost myself in a kingdom of pastel colours, singing along to Hindi music, darting between layers of scaffolding as my brush lavished the 25-foot tall canvas with paint. By the end of it all, a forgotten brick wall had transformed into an explosion of colour, provoking passers-by to discussion. I woke up to a message from the principal, saying she couldn’t thank me enough for “adding beauty and charm to a dull place”. She told me the mural had become the talk of the town.
I realised then [that] my experience with public creation wasn’t just a testament to the importance of creating beautiful things; it has highlighted the need for art to be liberated from behind gallery walls and costly entrance fees, for the rise of art forms that aren’t linked with affluence. And so I worked on two more murals. And another, and one more after that. The project seemed to take on a life of its own and with each wall painted, an opportunity to paint somewhere else came up. People began to stop and watch the painting happen, then they wanted to participate, and then offered up their own walls. That’s when I realised that this project that started out as just one mural could have a real impact.
So I sat down and reflected on what was compelling me towards mural creation, and I came to realise it was this idea of bringing art into public spaces, using it to uplift communities. That seemed to be the golden thread tying all these artworks together and has since become the goal of Open Canvas.
Since starting it, how has your experience been and what are some of the ups and downs you have faced with it?
It’s been a great experience, but there have been some challenges when it comes to getting permission to paint walls of people’s houses. For example, in Rangpuri Pahari, a slum cluster on the outskirts of New Delhi, I spent days navigating long winding lanes, knocking on doors and asking for permissions to create art on nearby walls–and came up against real reluctance at the start. Some residents smiled and shook their heads. Others just slammed their doors.
I think this is because more and more visuals in our country’s public spaces are limited to advertising, religious messaging and political propaganda, rather than art. Therefore, many have lost sight of what art can be and how it can transform public spaces. In fact, some people whom I asked initially thought I was going to paint an advertisement on their front wall, and had to explain that this was not the case.
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While there was initial hesitation, people have now started opening up their communities for the project.
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The project now associates with artists, slum-dwellers, galleries and non-profits.
But it just took one wall, one mural, and after that everything changed. The painting–of two girls at play–came to be a source of pride within the community. For starters, littering in the area dramatically reduced. Before we knew it, more and more people–including one or two who rejected our requests to paint initially–stopped by to watch us paint and even began to offer their walls.
I think those moments have been some of my proudest ones throughout the project. As a group of artists, we’re able to see that our art is having an impact, that the way people see art is changing because of us. Art becomes something beautiful, something uplifting, something associated with happiness and joy, something that instills wonder and curiosity and something that unites, rather than being lumped in with vandalism or propaganda which intensifies social divides.
What are some of the key collaborations that you have made for this project?
I’m really grateful to a number of partners for their role in providing the funding, expertise, sites and volunteers that enable Open Canvas to continue expanding its reach. Collaborating with the foundation of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and contemporary art gallery Nature Morte, have been particularly transformative for Open Canvas. We receive funds through their corporate social responsibility programme Twiga Fibreglass, and have also worked with Each One Teach One.
“BEFORE WE KNEW IT, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE–INCLUDING ONE OR TWO WHO REJECTED OUR REQUESTS TO PAINT INITIALLY–STOPPED BY TO WATCH US PAINT AND EVEN BEGAN TO OFFER THEIR WALLS.”
– Anika Somaia
Tell us a little about your experience of working with children for this?
I’ve had the chance to make some amazing friends whom I’ve stayed in touch with long after the projects are complete. The children in the slum communities always contribute to a joyful atmosphere–they are always eager to watch us paint, paint with us and even bring snacks for everyone at teatime. A lot of the kids really enjoy art but don’t always get the chance or support to engage with it as much as they’d like to, so painting with us is like an outlet for them. Their enthusiasm has also inspired us to start hosting wall-painting workshops where they can learn tips and techniques from our artists.
More generally, working with the underprivileged has been a privilege. In some of the communities where I’ve worked there have sometimes been marked socio-economic disparities or social and religious divides, but I’ve begun to see this as more of an opportunity than a challenge. While painting, it doesn’t matter where you live or how old you are, creating art is a collaborative experience and a time to celebrate our shared humanity, rather than pick apart differences.
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