Amit @NextFive

I went back to Chitra Santhe again, yesterday. My only the 3rd time.

From Chithra Santhe 2026 at Bengaluru, India

I came to know of Chitra Santhe fairly recently, couple of years back. It’s a 1-day, open air, art-market organized on the 1st Sunday of the year and attracts artists from across India. From as far as Kolkata and beyond, giving it quite a fair-like vibe.

The sticky-helix with tricolor on it on the bamboo stick to lower right is chewing-um sort of sweet, that the vendor fashions into a toy-watch, car, flower - whatever kids want.

Before coming to Chithra Santhe - I used to think of art as an elitist activity. Both - the creation as well as consumption aspect of it. I used to think that artists all come from privileged backgrounds where they did not have to worry about the income or their bills. And here I was thinking purely of paintings and sketches as “art”. Not any other kind.

I had the same notion for the consumers as well - or “connoisseurs”.

This was perhaps from my limited exposure to events like India Art Fair or galleries from Museum of Art and Photography to NGMA. Perhaps also influenced by the art-auction headline numbers.

But turns out, I just had not given it much thought.

I saw amazing work from artists of varying backgrounds - from premier institutions in India to much humbler ones. And the customers were not homogeneous either.

Artists from different demographies

Art school or otherwise

An artist from North Karnataka told me about what he calls “Blood Art” - apparently people commission artworks for family or close friends and offer 2 ml of their blood to the artist. Who then mixes it with other colors and uses the red from the blood to create his signature Blood Art. Not for me, but fascinating!

There was a guy who had traveled from Kolakata to display his works. But could not reach in time and so could not get the right stall. HE had his workds displayed against the gate of Khadi Emporium. I wondered if the sales here on this one day is worth traveling all the way. He said it was, at least last couple of years.

I wished him the best for this year as well.

Chitra Santhe attracts a more than just painters. There are all sorts of artists from live-caricaturists to jewelry-makers to the lamp-shades and photographers and everything in between.

And folks from different walks of life. Like this gentleman who had come with his family, requesting me take a family portrait when he noticed me with my camera.

And many other interesting characters…

We ended up getting 2 art works. And a lamp shade. I will go the next year too.

Hope you get to as well.