Making art accessible to all

As the masks take shape in the hands of the artist, we can feel life coming into the Raja-Rani duo and we fall in love with them. Choosing colours for their attire, jewellery to match, moustache for the man and nose ring for the woman, we enjoy shaping them up and finally, when we own them, it is with the utmost tenderness that we look at them and feel proud of our creations — of course, guided throughout by the artist as we take baby steps in creating the famous Cheriyal masks of Telangana. In Jaipur, through the 4th generation nakashi artist Sai Kiran, we learn about the 12th-century art of Cheriyal, its history, its journey and its many intricacies.

In another such workshop even those of us who never held a painting brush for decades, learn how to paint simple figures taking a clue from nature. Warli painting taught by Pravin Mhase from Maharashtra turns out both fun and learning. Two triangles one on top of another make a human figure, a circle on the top stands for the head while two Ls are legs, an oval attached to the circle (head) makes for the hair bun of the woman and so on. For amateurs, there is no need to worry about features or expressions — just a few lines and you are sorted! Centred on the concept of Mother Nature, Warli is very basic yet expressive. Warli artists use their clay huts as the backdrop for their paintings, just as the cavemen used their cave walls as canvasses. The figures too have a strong resemblance to cave paintings (drawn from Nature) yet are more defined.

We meet Bhawani Shanker Sharma, an award-winning artist well known for his work in Fresco Painting. He shares his knowledge gained during his fellowship in Milan, Italy and his genre of Fresco Painting. Then another meeting with a Miniature Painting artist Virendra Bannu ji to explore the historical art of Rajasthan.

Here we are, all lay persons introduced to various traditional arts. All this is made possible by a single App called Rooftop — an app for all art experiences. The app thrives upon the idea of bringing all traditional Indian art forms under one roof and making them easily accessible to art lovers across the world. It packages and customises art learning for every individual based on his or her preferences. These curated experiences end the misconception that art is only for a select few. 

The brainchild of Kartik Gaggar, a chartered accountant turned art entrepreneur, Rooftop was launched in 2022. His existing venture 'Rajasthan Studio' offered on-site art experiences to art enthusiasts and travellers but those initiatives had to be paused during the pandemic. That is when he started thinking of a virtual platform that would allow people to consume Indian art forms from the comfort of their homes and at their own pace. Thus Rooftop was born.

Since its launch, Rooftop has built a community of more than 3,000 passionate artists, including the award–winners from almost 180 towns in India who offer art workshops at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. At present, there are over 2,000 art experiences available on the app that is consumed by more than 42,800 members across 20 countries. The app currently offers experiences in five art forms, including Pichwai, Phad, Warli, Gond, Bhil and Mata Ni Pachedi. Five more art forms will be added to the app within a couple of months.

One of the major differentiators of Rooftop is that the app leaves the originality of traditional art undisturbed. Even while producing folk and tribal art courses similar to Pichwai or Gond painting, it is ensured that the authentic art forms, colours and motifs are represented in their original form. Keeping in mind the language barrier, the app packages the courses in both Hindi and English to make them user-friendly for everyone.