For 30-year-old Aditi Dandekar, it’s definitely a huge responsibility passed on to her as a legacy that was started by her grandfather in 1931. It was back then that the Dandekar family started Camlin Colours with a batch of new bottles of ink, and since then they have expanded into making colours, canvases, even collaborating with international colour companies to bring in the best quality colours to Indian artists, at affordable prices. Not stopping there, the Dandekars have also started a foundation and an art show that encourages young artists across the country.
Aditi says, “We have been making colours in India for the past 40 years.” Then she adds with a chuckle, “We have become an integral part of the art industry in India today, as every artist has at some point of time used our colours and canvases. Apart from this, we have also continued our non-profit and philanthropic activities constantly trying to improve the plight of artists from every small town in India.”
Their efforts to encourage young talent in the country came into force with the beginning of the Camel Art Foundation ten years ago, where the group requests entries from artists — both students and professionals from all across the country. “Earlier, it was carried on in the four metropoliotan cities in India, but now we are also reaching out to several small towns. Among the renowned artists, we have always shared the dias with Prabhakar Kolte, Jahangir Sabhawala and the likes.”
In keeping with the tradition of picking certain promising talents from all the entries and sending them to participate in art camps abroad, the Camel Foundation recently sent 24 senior and young artists to an art camp in Hong Kong. Aditi says, “We make sure that our artists get to travel to places around the world that smell of the quintessence of art, maybe like a place like Florence. This time, we sent our artists to Hong Kong. Many of the young talents who we nurtured through our art foundation are selling excellently through international auction houses apart from art galleries within the country.”
To give an opportunity to art enthusiasts to view the art works created in Hong Kong, Camel Art Foundation has collaborated with Gallery Beyond to showcase two art works of each artist at its premises.
