One year of art and grit: Abir Space marks its 1st Anniversary

Passionate about art, when the entire world was under a pall of gloom brought upon by the pandemic, artist and natural dye exponent Ruby Jagrut decided to provide a boost to the de-spirited art world and artists. Talking about the conceptualization of Abir Space, Jagrut says that it was aimed to be a democratic platform to represent Indian contemporary artists specially post-Covid. “We wanted to make art available to collectors irrespective of their location or that of the artist. We wanted to become the pioneers representing young talent to the world. I felt it was the need of the hour and a means to welcome the new normal,” she says. 

Indeed, a digital initiative to promote the works of emerging artists started during the peak of the pandemic has now evolved into a go-to online forum to scout for spell-binding artworks. Abir Space has wooed art connoisseurs and collectors alike in a short span. Each piece of art displayed at Abir Space is validated by reputed art curators. In our repertoire of artists, we have creators from places as far as North east in Sikkim or Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh or this hidden village in West Bengal. Through this digital platform, we are fast forwarding the process of connecting both, the artist and then art lovers and take it from there. “We started when most things looked gloomy and difficult. But our boat has happily remained afloat and steady. It is a delight to connect so hundreds of visual stories coming from the young and emerging, the irrepressible and diverse, the aspirational and poignant works of Abir artists to the world. We are hungry for more with much conviction, and optimism,” says Editor Nideesh Tyagi.

All the artworks are carefully curated and given a prominent display through cross-referencing them through our online arts magazine, Abir Pothi. Another significant way in which we determine and hand-pick talent is through a pan-India arts competition organized by Abir Foundation, a non-profit that was established in 2016. So far, we have received 5000+ works from artists across India and we invite eminent jury that consists the likes of KS Radhakrishnan, Rm Pallaniappan, Amit Ambalal, Subodh Kerkar, Brinda Miller, and so on, to select the entries for the annual exhibition. Many of these emerging artists are then on-boarded to Abir Space where we enhance their exposure to the global art scene through our strong digital presence. 

With wide visibility, emerging artists have gained a platform they had never dreamt of before. We have reached out to the hinterlands of India and have hand-picked talent whose works will lift up the look and feel of your household. With over 1200 artworks in categories such as painting, printmaking, ceramics, and sculptures, there is something for everyone. What we treasure the most are the stories behind the pieces that we display on Abir Space. We love to get into the minds of our artists and a weekly column on abirpothi.com featuring Abir Space artists ensures that the readers know about the conceptualization and execution of intricate artistic ideas in an intimate way. As we see it, the road ahead is full of bigger initiatives and a much wider outreach. We will continue to celebrate art and artists with gusto. Join our art movement today! 

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