Contemporary artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Manu Parekh, Jogen Chowdhury and Paresh Maity join hands to raise funds for pandemic relief by making signature art masksOf creativity & concern
Manav Mander
The artist community, which is known for its humanitarian outlook, has volunteered to contribute to Covid-19 relief fund by doing what they do best—create. Fifty Indian artists have committed to paint user-friendly wearable masks on fabric in an initiative by Art for Concern, which raises funds for Concern India Foundation.
The gallery of artists includes luminaries like Anjolie Ela Menon, Manu Parekh, Madhvi Parekh, Jogen Chowdhury, Jayasri Burman, Paresh Maity, Baiju Parthan and Nayanaa Kanodia.
Funds from online sales of these signature art masks will go towards Concern India Foundation’s ongoing relief work, which is currently focused on providing protective gear and equipment to public health institutions as well as distribution of food grains to the most vulnerable.
In the prevailing gloom of this Covid era, the art masks are eagerly awaited as they will mark a new chapter in what the fashionistas may like to wear as an accessory, while observing rules of safety. The art masks are also expected to be picked up by collectors as a valuable art memorabilia of a very troubled time.
Art for Concern, which raises fund for social causes, says the symbolism of the mask has caught the imagination of the artists, as it enables them to join the frontlines of the relief work in this way.
Their art can help save lives. Funds raised will support the work Concern India Foundation is doing – providing ventilators, ECG machines, portable X-Ray machines and protective kits with sanitizers, disposable gloves, masks, personal protection equipment, N 95 masks, cleaning agents and distributing food grains to orphanages, old-age homes, daily wage workers and migrant labourers.
Kavita Shah, CEO, Concern India Foundation, says “Masks d’Art is a fund-raising event that brings together our long-standing relationship with artists into a unique idea to raise money for our relief efforts in Covid-19. We are truly honoured with the response from the artists. These masks with worderful works of art will be a collector’s item.”
