Artists in the city are getting ready for their favourite month-long art challenge — Inktober.
The challenge was started by artist Jake Parker in 2009 to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide venture with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. Three artists-architects from the city Srishti P (@anchoredhues_), Prathyaksha Krishna Prasad (@projectekarikthin) and Aafreen Fathima ((@ninetyeight._) have come up with a Madras-based Inktober prompt. “We started the city-based prompt list last year and the response was amazing. This year too we are following the same theme. People talk about Madras mainly during the Madras Week celebrations. But we wanted to celebrate the city throughout the year. The alphabetical prompt list includes the tangible and intangible heritage of Madras. One day of every week, there will be a surprise prompt as well,” Aafreen Fathima tells DT Next.
Srishti informs us that she will be doing Madras Inktober by drawing connections between Germany and Madras this year. “India post had released the 75 years of diplomatic relations stamp and since I’m doing my Masters in Germany currently I thought it would be nice to do it that way. Also, the alphabet prompt list will be helpful for those who haven’t been able to sketch daily,” says Srishti.
One of artist Akshayaa Selvaraj’s biggest dreams was to celebrate her 30th birthday with 30 amazing sunsets across the world happening on the same day. “From the mystical and magical sunset among the pyramids in Egypt, sunset happening in the volcanic eruption in Iceland, sunsets among the snow with cute pets basking around, sunsets from the balconies of France, Greece, Edinburgh, sunsets among the most beautiful beaches, lighthouses and rivers in Idaho, Michigan, sunsets in the woods and mountains of Ooty to the everyday urban life out of the window in Chennai and Bengaluru was beyond words to express the love but can only feel it.
“So this Inktober, I wanted to honour and dedicate all that love and magic into a tangible experience by sketching this confetti of sunsets. My wish and invitation through this year’s Inktober are to witness and immerse in the magic of sunset that happens every day for every single creation on this earth with their heart and open to its magic by celebrating it through art, music and their ways of creativity. I would love for anyone to join me along this Inktober journey as I would be posting and sharing the stories behind each sunset every single day on my Instagram page @akshayaaselvaraj,” says Akshayaa.
