FLO Bangalore, led by Chairperson Dekyi Yangtso Chawla, hosted a vibrant celebration of creativity & expression, “FLO Art Collective,” at Bangalore International Centre. As a part of the Art & Culture vertical, the event was no ordinary day, a day where colours, nature & movement came alive in the most beautiful forms through painting, ikebana and dance. The event was divided into 3 segments.
The first segment comprised fluid painting and learning techniques of watercolour and charcoal with Mr. Ganapati Hegde, an artist par excellence with a diploma in painting from Ken School of Art. He unveils a delightful world of flora and fauna in a personally accentuated style. Inspired by the natural environment that bursts forth with colour, creatures and lush vegetation, he creates a world of his own that evolves from a highly creative imagination and ideologies.
The second segment comprised flowers and vases, and beautiful branches. An artistic experience creating the most aesthetic arrangement of Ikebana with Ms. Shobha Madhu. Then, the third segment was an electrifying dance session with Shruti Kulkarni, a versatile dancer and choreographer, with a rich background in ballet, contemporary, jazz, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and martial arts. Each of these art forms speaks its own language, yet they all share a common thread: the power to touch hearts, inspire minds, and bring us together.
Key Takeaways
- Ganapati Hegde is a very popular contemporary Indian artist with a simple demeanour and a very easy-going personality. He was eager to teach each one and look at the art that they made based on his teachings. A warm, smiling face and easy conversationalist, he made all the members feel comfortable and taught various art techniques that will be part of their art journey forever. His art demonstration was the icing on the cake; he made a painting of a bird in a forest, leaving the members mesmerised.
- Shobha Madhu was a very gentle soft soft-spoken artist, her personality reflecting her calm and meditative art form – Ikebana. The room was filled with the Aroma of flowers, jazz music playing and each member learnt step by step how to create balance and harmony through flowers, twigs and leaves. The sense of calm was contagious, and each participant left feeling fulfilled.
- Shruti Kulkarni had electrifying energy and the perfect balance to make our members dance to peppy upbeat songs. She created rhythm and movements that the members followed with immense enthusiasm. There was a sense of camaraderie and togetherness as they all moved together to the choreography.
A total of 170 members attended the FLO Collective Event. The attendees painted and learnt many techniques with Ganpati Hegde and Shobha Madhu. They created stunning Ikebana arrangements that they took home and danced their hearts out to classic Bollywood songs with fluid choreography with Shruti Kulkarni. The members had the most impressive and inclusive day with all three artists.