Sumita Chauhan is a visual artist, a researcher, founder member of a charitable organisation PGAI and co-director of an art gallery, Gallery ONKAF, in New Delhi, India.
She finished her PhD at the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent, Canterbury. Sumita is an artist engaged in creating sculpture using traditional as well as digital techniques. A graduate from New Delhi, India, she completed her MA in Fine Art from the Kent Institute of Art and Design (KIAD) and a MPhil in Digital Art at the University of Kent.
She has been a resident artist in Finland, Taiwan and UK and experimented with various materials. Unfamiliar concepts and new technological processes challenge her and she tries to incorporate the same in her works and the workshops she conducts.
“Today Matters”– the pandemic impact and art created by elderly people
The pandemic has been a difficult period for everyone worldwide and the restrictions that came along with COVID-19 outbreak had a negative effect on overall health and wellbeing of the older generation. The cause was mainly due to less physical activity, mental stimulation and social interaction. To combat difficult times, there are ways to stay engaged and active despite the social distancing measure all over the world. Studies have indicated that art can be used as a tool for meaningful engagement to cope with the stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic.
Keeping in mind the restrictions in place, a project “Today matters” was planned in such a way where physical presence was not required. This study was first conceived in June 2021 in India interviewing people over 65 years over the phone and engaging them in creative endeavours and later carried out in the United Kingdom. Questions were related to their views of the present situation and a task was given to them to express it in a creative way rather than in words, encouraging the use of any material or medium easily available to them.
This study made it possible to reach out to people from diverse backgrounds and different regions in India and the UK. The artworks created by 58 participants within a span of one week became a reflection of the state of our society and a creative outcome at a specific time and space. Bringing together works of people from the two countries facilitated in presenting the cultural beliefs and contemporary ideology. Engaging in creative activities at home with limited art materials available was challenging for many and to some it acted as a diversion and a constructive outlet for emotional expression. The artworks conveyed a visual statement of the participant’s understanding of the present pandemic and its societal impact on dealing with everyday life. Materials used for creating artworks ranged from colour pencils to dry coconut shells, Artistic expressions included paintings, drawings, collage, sculptural forms, knitting and photography.
Main focus was on how the participants reacted to doing a creative task with online interactions and to what extent they were able to execute their imagination and ideas creatively. The qualitative results demonstrated that psychological wellbeing as an outcome from the participant’s sense of purpose and accomplishment was the key leading to greater satisfaction in their creative engagement. It was, however, found that the participants of the two countries had different social circumstances, health and economic condition but they mostly held similar ideas and emotions regarding individual circumstances and choices during the pandemic. This study has documented the clear benefits of the association of elderly people with art and a significant outlet. The collection of artworks initiated a public display at different venues and on social media to reach out to new audiences to inspire and enthuse people of all ages.