LUCKNOW — A six-day painting workshop inspired by the art of renowned Indian artist Manjit Bawa (1941–2008) concluded at Lucknow Public School, Anand Nagar branch, as part of the Aesthetic and Cultural Development Programme 2026–27.
Held from August 3 to 8, the workshop saw 32 students create 32 artworks drawing from Bawa’s distinctive artistic vision. The programme ended with a certificate distribution ceremony for all participants and an exhibition of their paintings.
Exploring Bawa’s Artistic Language
Centered on Bawa’s unique visual language, the workshop served as a creative and intellectual journey for students to understand colour, form, imagination, and the Indian perspective in art.
Through various sessions, students explored the poetic simplicity, distinctive colour palettes, fluid forms, and Bawa’s deep connection with Indian mythology, spirituality, nature, and cultural consciousness. Working with colour, line, composition, and symbolism, they developed their imagination and personal modes of expression.
“Every child has an artist within”
Speaking at the closing, Bhupendra Kumar Asthana, Curator, Florence Art Gallery, said:
“Manjit Bawa is known not just in India but across the world for his colourful, imaginative, and distinctive pictorial language. His art teaches us to love nature, animals, music, spirituality, and our rich Indian culture. Every child has an artist hidden inside. When children play with colours, make paintings, and put their imagination on paper, their thinking and sensitivity become more beautiful. Children should never worry whether their painting is good or bad. The most beautiful painting is one that shows the joy, imagination, and own thoughts of the child.”
Asthana added that the workshop taught students more than painting techniques. “Art teaches us not just to make pictures, but also to look at life with beautiful thought, patience, confidence, sensitivity, and creativity. This kind of workshop by Lucknow Public School is a commendable initiative. Such events spark curiosity in children to know and understand art and artists, and inspire them to connect with nature and their cultural environment.”
Guests Encourage Independent Creative Voice
Fashion designer and makeup artist Ms. Prachi Khare attended as the Chief Guest. She viewed the students’ artworks and appreciated their creative efforts, urging them to understand the relationship between art, design, imagination, and visual culture. Her presence, organizers said, added a contemporary dimension to the programme.
Artists Prem Shankar and Vishal Gupta were present as Guests of Honour. They said such art workshops should be held in more schools as they give children direct engagement with art and help develop creative abilities. Both artists guided students on composition, colour harmony, stylization, and personal expression. Their demonstrations and interactive sessions encouraged students not just to imitate Bawa’s style, but to draw inspiration from it to develop their own independent visual language.
School and Gallery Leadership Hail Initiative
Ms. Sunanda Mathur, Principal, Lucknow Public School, Anand Nagar, said introducing students to India’s rich art traditions and the creative processes of distinguished artists plays a key role in developing their personality, imagination, and sensitivity. She called such activities essential for the holistic development of students.
The programme received guidance and support from Ms. Neha Singh, Founder and Director, Florence Art Gallery, and Director – Academics and Innovations, Lucknow Public Schools and Colleges. Her continued commitment to art education and cultural enrichment, organizers noted, has been instrumental in providing students meaningful opportunities for creative experimentation and expression.
Senior Art Teacher Rajesh Kumar said the workshop concluded with a beautiful exhibition of works created by students, guided by Art Teacher Rishabh. In the 32 works on display, students interpreted Bawa’s vision in their own ways, reflecting both inspiration from the master and their individual imagination.
Parents who visited the exhibition appreciated the students’ creativity, imagination, and artistic confidence. For many students, publicly displaying their work was an encouraging and memorable experience.
More Than Just Painting
Over six days, the workshop conveyed to students that art is not just about putting colour and shapes on paper, but a free language for seeing, thinking, feeling, and expressing oneself. Through Bawa’s art, students learned how simplicity, colour, nature, symbols, and imagination can together create a deep artistic experience.
The initiative concluded as a confluence of art, education, imagination, and cultural awareness. It introduced students to new artistic techniques while deepening their sensitivity toward colour, beauty, nature, imagination, and the rich tradition of Indian art.
Organizers said the experience is expected to nurture curiosity for art, sensitivity toward nature, faith in imagination, and confidence in independent expression among young artists, inspiring them to continue their creative journey and develop their own artistic identity.
