Continuing from October’s blog, I thought I would share the art I have made since then! Like last time, I have written a bit about each painting and what it was inspired by.

RICKSHAW UNCLE

When I first met my Rickshaw Uncle, he was very cranky. Sithara, my co-worker at my host organization, and I wanted to go to the mall. He refused to agree to any price, irritated that we were wasting his time. His other friend stood nearby, amused. “If you don’t take their price you won’t be making any money,” his friend pointed out. “Take the fare and go!” 

So we went. Sithara is from Kerala, and we usually chat in English as it’s more comfortable than Hindi. “Arre,” Uncle exclaimed halfway through the ride, “Hindi mein baat karo, humein bhi kuch samajh mein aaye!” Speak Hindi so I can understand too! And from there, he became our Rickshaw uncle. Any time I need a ride anywhere, I call Prem Singh uncle and he arrives. To this day I haven’t seen him in that cranky mood again! Every time I sit in his rickshaw he asks after Sithara, tells me about his kids, and asks where I’ve been since I called him last. On the day I gave him this painting, I came back out of my house to see him gazing at it. He posed for a photo, holding it with pride, head up high. It was the first time I had surprised someone with a painting like this; now I do it every time!

PAINTED BOTTLES

In my first few weeks as a Fellow, I searched desperately for coffee shops that would make coffee with almond milk. I ordered online almost every day, accidentally accumulating a ton of glass bottles. I found uses for a few, such as planters, keeping used oil, and washing my paint brushes. But by January, two of my plants were barely holding on to life, and I had even more bottles than I knew what to do with. In a bit of an artistic block, I ditched the painting I was working on and decided to paint the bottles. I rarely copy ideas from Instagram or other online sites, so I sometimes don’t enjoy painting because I’m so busy trying to be original. So one Sunday, I decided to copy an Instagrammer and paint the bottle with a simple picture of a dancer I had taken at a traditional Rajasthani show. I sat on the roof all day, joined by my landlord’s wife and daughter on and off. It was a great exercise to get my artistic juices flowing. I keep the bottle on my counter and fill it with good memories from my fellowship. After 10 months, we will discover all my highlights!

A SNAIL FOR BJOERN

I am a fan of crochet, and I thought to make a little item for everyone in the program. At Orientation, I remembered Bjoern told us an endearing story about his childhood in Germany during a workshop. Every year, they would catch snails and write the year on them, so they would know if they caught those same snails again. I carefully crocheted a tiny snail, stitched “’24” onto it, and brought it to Midpoint.

Then promptly dropped it in the street.

I approached Bjoern and stuck my hand in my pocket to find– the snail was gone! In classic Jahnavi fashion, I had lost it. I didn’t want to tell Bjoern what it was, in case I found it and could still surprise him. I searched all over the Dehradun campus. Eventually, I caved and told him what it was and the color. Good thing I did! In the airport waiting for my flight home, I got a message from Bjoern and a photo.

It was a proper miracle- he had found the little snail! He had been taking a walk as a last activity before leaving Dehradun. With all the monkeys, dogs, cows, and goats running around the hills, I was shocked that it had survived, just lying on the dirty road by the campus, right where it had fallen out of my pocket.

(to my other Fellows, I will have your crochet things by Endpoint, don’t worry.)

HEMLATHA (HER DRAWING AND MINE)

On my second day of painting Vikalp’s second mural at the Obrakala school (stay tuned for an upcoming blog, read about our first mural here), a young girl named Hemlatha joined us. She was very reluctant and shy, but as soon as the girls spotted her, they pulled her over. “Didi, she is a great artist!” they told me and sat her down with paper and crayons. She began to draw me, the other girls watching in awe around her. When she finished, I took it home. That evening, I pulled out my watercolors and painted her. I thought I would return the favor! One of my favorite things about art-related projects is seeing students lean into art-making, as a way to express themselves, relax, and breathe from the pressure they face. Throughout the process of the mural, they guided and taught each other, and complimented each other’s art, forgetting for a moment their school and home politics. They got lost in the flow of colors, shapes, and calming brush strokes.

TARA

As I mentioned in other blogs, I work with around 20 girls completing a BA for the first time in their village. These girls have received a scholarship from Vikalp Sansthan. As a mentor, I lead these Vikalp Scholars through self-development exercises and teach them English.

On the first day of painting in Obrakala, My colleague and I invited two scholars who live in the neighboring village – Tara and Geeta, to help facilitate the painting process. The effect of their presence was not to be downplayed. In contrast with the girls, in classes 9 and 11, the Vikalp scholars were confident, loud, and bold.

It is easy for me to tell girls to take up space, but the scholars demonstrated it. Tara is quiet, but her confidence is palpable. I could see the girls watching the scholars, their faces changing as they saw how they could be, as exemplified by girls from their village.

Tara and Geeta mixed paints for the students, helping them and painting some themselves. Though they both don’t love to draw, they enjoyed the painting, and their presence reminded me of the importance of cascading mentorship. I am their mentor, but they should be mentors in their own right. They can provide living examples of the values Vikalp preaches, and create a scaffolding of mentorship and menteeship for girls associated with Vikalp. 

KAJAL

I wish I knew more about Kajal.

She had quiet confidence and self-assurance when she spoke about her re-enrollment in school and her educational journey. At the end of the meeting, I downloaded Duolingo for her on her phone, and she began to tear through the beginner English lessons.

An average day for these girls involves house chores, cooking, farming, and rituals; things that take up more time than you would believe. Still, after all that, they find the energy to study, to trek miles to school, and to work and work for something that should be free and easy.

She reminded me, as many young girls at Vikalp do, how easy my education was. Not just in terms of the level of exams, the criticism of my teachers, and the difficulty of achieving new marks, but the fact that I get to study at all. Education is a right where we come from; school is a requirement. I feel in awe of the girls here when I think about how hard they work just to get the chance to do what I hated doing at that age; studying!

WOMAN LOOKING OUT THE RICKSHAW

This one is unfinished, but I wanted to share it still. It always takes me a long time to start (and finish) a large painting. I have had two big canvasses sitting against the wall since October. I didn’t feel inspired for a long time. Then, in a shared rickshaw one day, I sat across from an older woman.

The light dappled through her scarf, painting her with a red hue. She had warm, purple-toned skin, and the shine of her jewelry stood out in sharp contrast. She did not look at me once, even as I snuck a picture. She just gazed out the window with such a wistful expression, such longing, I couldn’t help but wonder what she was daydreaming about.

I drew my conclusions, of course, but it was an expression I recognized. Through Vikalp, I have met many girls who dream of a better future and are encouraged to imagine a utopia where they can be free. The way the woman looked out onto the street, I felt she, too, was searching for that better life on the streets of Udaipur, wondering when it would come to us all.

Don’t forget to follow my art account on Instagram: @jahnavi_art

and check out my website: https://jjz1022.wixsite.com/jahnavi-art