The Art Ghar: A serene space to unwind with art in Jaipur

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In the bustling area of Jaipur’s Shyam Nagar is a 40-year-old house that has been refurbished as a quaint space for people to just walk in, unleash their creativity and heal their souls with art. Bathed in bright sunlight, minimalistic interiors, subtle hues and natural accents – The Art Ghar is not the quintessential art studio. “More than anything else, it is a warm home that invites everyone to ‘be’ ”, says Shraddha Jain, the young entrepreneur behind the walk-in art studio which is also home to a curated store, cafe and eight thematically designed BnB rooms.

What’s interesting is that Shraddha never studied art. In fact, she even loathed the idea of going to art hobby classes as a child simply because of the conventional way in which most art teachers taught.“Emulating an apple drawn by a teacher and asking the child to fill it with the same colours is not art”, says Shraddha, who also conducts therapeutic art sessions for underprivileged children with a Jaipur based NGO. “If given the room for creative freedom, art is a great way for children to express their feelings. In one of the art sessions, I asked the children to draw a scene from their homes. A child painted a rather moving scene of a man beating his wife. Art is a great way to sensitize children about sensitive topics like abuse, gender, religion etc.”, explains the art lover.

A serene space to unwind with art

On being asked what led her to build such a space in Jaipur, Shraddha says: “Through my entire life – be it in college or when I started working or even when I took a break from everything else, art has been my constant source of solace. I want more and more people to experience this healing quality of art.” Shraddha started her journey as an art entrepreneur back in 2017 with a first-of-its-kind small art pop-up in a café wherein people could create a piece of art on a small canvas and take it home. “The sense of joy it brought to people made me realize that I want to pursue something around art. But I took my own sweet time to figure out what it would be.”

For the next two years, Shraddha experimented with unique workshops like painting under the stars with a glass of wine in the opulent ambiance of the City Palace, pottery workshop in a café, among others. “The experience of painting in a noisy café was not a very pleasant one, however. This paved the idea for creating a serene space that would help people to indulge in art and unwind”, she tells. The walls, ceilings and interiors of the space are intentionally left minimalistic to not give a definite artistic direction to anyone’s creative process.

A wall displaying art works created by the guests at The Art Ghar

Art as a Mindful Indulgence during lockdown

Just over a month after The Art Ghar opened its doors for couples to spend some quality time together while painting their own mug or plate or for women to host kitty parties with an artistic twist and generally for anyone to spend some time with away from the everyday conundrum, the Covid-19 induced lockdown was announced. During this time when people were going through copious amounts of stress and anxiety, Shraddha introduced DIY art kits as a mindful indulgence. These included ceramic kits, pre-drawn canvas kits, mosaic kits, among others.

“As a gifting option for mother’s day, a coaster painting kit which included four coasters and all art supplies was on offer. An adult colouring book is also on the cards”, tells Shraddha.

An experiential Staycation

The Art Ghar also offers staycation options for both localites as well as those coming from cities like Delhi. Each room has been tastefully and thoughtfully designed keeping a theme in mind. For instance, the ‘Kitabi Kida’ is a room tailor-made for book-lovers with a bookshelf, a typewriter, a small alcove as a cozy reading corner and walls adorning artworks depicting commas and full stops. Similarly, ‘Sthir’ is a room for those inclined towards spirituality. With a violet wall that is symbolic of consciousness, a yoga mat and a verdant view from the balcony, the room is perfect for someone looking for a healthful retreat.