Cartist Yatra: A moving art exhibition -Aishwarya Upadhye,THE HINDU

Cartist Yatra, 2019, a travelling exhibition of painted cars, rickshaws and scooters, is visiting 10 cities in a span of 80 days. And it carries with it the message of ‘Unity’, also its theme. “Art should not be confined to museums and galleries. It should be taken to the everyone and what better way than automobiles. With this exhibition, we aim to raise awareness of the various art forms from different part of the country, and also of the evolution of the Indian automobile industry,” says Himanshu Jangid, founder of Cartist.

India is no stranger to automobile art. For decades, we have seen bright colours splashed across the sides of trucks with quirky messages such as ‘Horn Ok Please’. Jaipur-based Himanshu, a vintage-car restorer and an art aficionado, took it up a notch when he established Cartist in 2015.

Initially, the initiative was restricted to workshops and an exhibition on automobile art in Jaipur. However, last year, Himanshu decided to put the exhibition on wheels and the idea of Cartist Yatra was conceived of. The theme of the first edition was ‘Unsung Heroes’, where artists practising dying traditional professions were projected as heroes.

“I see them as heroes because they are trying to conserve an art that would die out if not for their persistence. The cars had motifs that gave a glimpse into the lives of quilt-makers and artists who work on miniatures, from Rajasthan, and wooden-toy makers from Karnataka,” says Himanshu.

This year, the team is travelling with 10 cars, 4 scooters, and a rickshaw. The models include a Maruti 800, a Hindustan Ambassador, a Fiat 1100D (popularly referred to as Premier Padmini) and a 1929 Chevrolet convertible. The highlight of the exhibition is a car donated by Deepa Malik, the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal. They also have 10 art installations made from the spare parts of automobiles.

At every pitstop, the team, which consists of 10 artists and 10 organisers, is getting at least one car painted by the local artists. In Ahmedabad, two cars — a Maruti 800 and a Standard Herald — were painted by the local artists. Along the way in Goa, Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam, three more cars that showcase the local art forms were done. “Engaging these artists helps in a better understanding of the local art form. Rarely have these artists painted on cars, and hence it gives them an opportunity to experiment,” he adds.

After visiting Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gurugram, and Chandigarh, the exhibition will culminate on March 18 at the Cartist Automobile Art Festival in Jaipur.

“Apart from the cars that we have painted, the festival will also exhibit and auction the paintings that have been made by artists from across the country,” he says.