Bengaluru Chitra Santhe 2026: From tiny piggy banks to passion projects | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: From wide-eyed children to seasoned professionals, the mix of artists at the 23rd edition of Chitra Santhe on Sunday was as diverse as the colours on display.Talented crew of kidsYuvaan, who turned seven just a week ago, was among the few kids who showcased their artwork at the art fair. Having taken up painting seriously only two months ago, Yuvaan works with oil pastels and has already sold his first artwork; the proceeds, he said with a smile, will go straight into his piggy bank. Explaining his artwork in simple words, Yuvaan said: “I chose oil pastels because I already had them at home and I liked how the colours looked. I love looking at lakes, but I don’t want to enter them. I drew a house next to a lake, as it looked pretty.”Alongside Yuvaan were other young talents — six-year-old Nivishka, eight-year-old Aditi, and six-year-old Netra — all attending art classes in Seshadripuram. Their works ranged from colourful houses and landscapes to imaginative scenes drawn purely from instinct.Accident unveils hidden artistFor 23-year-old Sri Dhrithi from Bannerghatta Road, a spinal cord injury sustained in an accident three years ago — which left her wheelchair-bound for a brief period — became a defining turning point in life. With time to kill during recovery, she immersed herself in painting, learning the craft largely through Instagram in the post-Covid phase.Dhrithi, who made her debut at Chitra Santhe, works primarily with acrylics on canvas and prefers visible brushstrokes over strict realism, allowing each painting to narrate a journey rather than merely replicating an image. Over time, her style evolved organically as she began “finding” her art. Her subjects range from Varanasi cityscapes to Indian dance forms to nature, which she believes humans instinctively connect with.Honouring Bihari roots“It’s the details that matter. That’s why my art is special,” said Neha Priya, a 39-year-old artist from Seshadripuram whose intricate monochrome works drew admiration from visitors. Having practised for seven years, Neha uses a fountain pen nib dipped in thinned acrylic paint, carefully building each composition line by line to create a Madhubani painting, which originated in Bihar, paying homage to her roots. An A4-sized piece can take her 5-6 hours to complete, reflecting patience, precision, and a love for the craft. Her works at the Santhe were priced between Rs 1,850 and Rs 2,000.“People here don’t just look at art and walk away — they want to know the form, why it is done, and the effort behind it. Unlike local exhibitions with sparse footfall, this platform attracts genuine art lovers, making it a rewarding space for artists to showcase their skill and creativity.”Flying in from DubaiManoj Kumar Swain has a corporate career as a director at a management consulting firm in Dubai. But every Jan, along with his wife and daughter, he travels to his hometown Bengaluru to showcase his artwork at Chitra Santhe. He discovered his passion for painting a few years ago, and he crafts figurative and religious paintings with focus on intense facial expressions, lifelike details, and emotional resonance. Most of his works feature black backgrounds that isolate subjects, symbolising light emerging from darkness.While he also participates in art exhibitions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he feels he can showcase his work more freely in Bengaluru. “The cultural society in Dubai does not allow the display of my style of figurative or religious paintings. The art there is very different, whereas here there is a wider audience and a lot of opportunity,” he said.
