Home to dying art

Art has enroute become pretentious and a code for the elite; diverting from its regular path. The tragedy being, more artists find it difficult to exhibit their work because the cost involved in art-showcase is exorbitant.
Kemps Corner based Caravan Hands—a hybrid of a designer store and art gallery—is a zone that promulgates such forms of art and artists. Naziya Merchant, the brainchild behind this concept says, "Art has converted into a niche market; a classified area just for elite. When people pick up a piece, they land up not using it because it is expensive. I think art is to be used, so the idea is to look at creativity in daily lives.

My store provides 'offbeat creativity' to all, and encourages dying forms of art like madhubani and gond."

A lover of most things subtle and earthy, Merchant's love for art is an unceasing one. And thus, the creation of the store. A solicitor by profession, Merchant emphasises that "the store is not made for commercial purpose but purely out of the passion for art." She divulges, "I was always inclined to do something creative. I love colours, and interesting designs; at the same time like things different and affordable. When I got my own space, I fused these basic ideas to create Caravan Hands."

Accentuating that the store is "for art and for those who think out-of-the-box", Merchant talks their first exhibition 'The August Art & Poetry Show'. Merchant says, "Artist-poet Naima Imtiaz will exhibit her paintings and transliterations of her poetry (originally in Urdu) with English translation."

Talking about the relationship of art and Mumbai, SoBo-resident Merchant expresses, "Mumbai has always been a city that has encouraged literature, art, poetry."