100 Diyas of Diwali
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Art: To support a charity project, Angad B. Sodhi embarked on an ambitious project, creating a hundred unique little pieces of art on clay diyas for Diwali.
Recently, I was inspired by a story posted by Himanshu Khagta in Shimla, where he has been supporting a local potter by buying a bunch of diyas from him and sending them out to people. In Chandigarh, I live down the road from a tiny potter’s village myself, where a handful of families make diyas and other pottery that helps make Diwali special for the rest of us.
The families live in the side of the highway. I wanted to reach out and give back to these potters for the festival, and hence, decided to embark on the ‘100 Diyas of Diwali’ project. Each diya will have a unique work of art on it. The proceeds are going to help raise funds for blankets and a meal for the potters who made these clay lamps.
I have also tied up with The Pink Foundation (a women’s NGO based here in Chandigarh, which works with women living in similar conditions to the potters for whom I’m raising these funds) to create hand stitched cloth bags, in which we will pack each individual diya. All these bags are going to be upcycled from surplus/waste cloth collected from garment manufacturers and designers, so they are not only providing employment to underprivileged women, but are sustainable and environmentally-friendly as well.
Once you know the one you would like, just drop me a direct message on any of my social media (Facebook / Instagram) with the name of the artwork you’d like to purchase and the amount you’d like to donate. And we’ll take things from there! I will be shipping abroad as well.
Each of these unique miniature collectible pieces of art is hand crafted by a local artisan, hand painted by yours truly and is signed at the bottom of each piece. These will be accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity.
Here is a sampler of the some of the artworks and my influences, which includes taking much inspiration from my surroundings to recreating an old portrait of a Nihang that I had painted over a decade ago. You can find photos of all the diyas from the ongoing project here.
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
Photo: Angad B. Sodhi
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Angad B Sodhi is a Goa based photographer and visual artist who is actively working toward raising awareness about mental health and wellness through art and conversation. You can check out his work at angadbsodhi.com or follow him on instagram at: @angadbsodhi
