Riot of colours and expression: A festival that recognised the best in art - in Pics

The fifth edition of First Take by Abir India, a festival of art, was recently showcasing the works of 120 young Indian artists from across the country. 

From over 2,500 submissions, a panel of jury comprising KS Radhakrishnan, RM Palaniappan, Vasudevan Akkitham, Kristine Michael, and Hartmut Wurster selected the short-listed and winning entries. 

Out of 122 selected artists, 10 were awarded for their excellence, ideas and expressions. Five of the 10 winners were Shubhanker Suresh Chandere from Pune, Kinnari Jitendra Tondlekar from Thane, Sriparna Dutta from Hyderabad, Jintu Mohan Kalita from Barama, Assam and Priya Ranjan Purkait from Kolkata.

The other five winners included Asif Imran from Lalgola, West Bengal, Chhering Negi from Solan Himachal Pradesh, Rutvik Mehta from Surendranagar, Gujarat, Mausham Manglla from Vadodara, and Jithin Jayakumar from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Emerging artists submitted entries in mixed media, linocuts, sculptures, acrylic, among others to create a festival of colours and youthful vibes.

The awardees were presented with a trophy and a gift of Rs 50,000 each. Few winners plan to invest in etching presses with the award money while some plan to use it to buy materials and fund ongoing projects. 

Through its last five editions, Abir India has received over 10,200 entries out of which works of 620 artists have been chosen and 42 artists have been awarded.