Welcome to India International Spiritual Art Festival, the first spiritual festival in India open to all art aficionados, spiritualists and artists. Here, the lines between art, spirituality & the limitless human conscience merge into one mesmerising experience of a lifetime. In this blog, we shall discover the magic of spiritual art and inner exploration.  Are you ready?

Introduction: 

The India International Spiritual Art Festival (or IISAF) 2021, the first spiritual festival in India is making all the buzz in the artistic circles these days. Found during the Covid-19 pandemic by Kalki Subramaniam & Bridget Paul Shibu, the festival attracts Indian & International artists on a single platform to support, encourage and exhibit their artworks. 

The festival’s aim is to bring engagement, excitement, inner peace and inspiration to art lovers and spiritual seekers around the world. The IISAF is currently underway. It was inaugurated on 1st August 2021 and will remain open until 8th November 2021 i.e. a total of 100 days.

The Year 2020 – Introducing Covid & Spirituality Into The Lives Of Humans

The year 2020 was a revelation for all of humanity. Every sentient being went through an ordeal of their own that was uniquely shaped to their conscience, personality & journey. What was considered normal before now was being questioned about its necessity in the hierarchy of Life. 

During 2019 BC (Before COVID), we were in ignorance. So busy in moulding careers, achieving greater milestones and climbing higher atop the pyramid of needs that we forgot who we were and what we were supposed to be.

      (Before COVID – Obsolescence)         (After COVID – Transcendence)

Jobs weren’t important anymore, attendance wasn’t frowned upon, profits & control were being sidelined. Schools, gyms, pools, theatres, offices, factories, parties were put on hold. With nothing to do & nowhere to be, the only thing left for humans to do was the exploration of the meaning of Life.

What to do when there is no goal to achieve, where to be when you’re not expected anywhere, what to believe when all you were taught was crumbling down? Many people turned towards meditation, poetry, blogging, journaling, bonding with their families. Meanwhile, almost all of those who were quarantined were forced to prioritise their health over everything & everyone else.

“When religion, science and morality are shaken … and when the outer supports threaten to fall, man turns his gaze from externals in on to himself. Literature, music and art are the first and most sensitive spheres in which this spiritual revolution makes itself felt.”

~ Wassily Kandinsky

The India International Spiritual Art Festival

The Story:

Many may not be enlightened of it, but the ‘IISAF’ was born out of an indulgent conversation between Kalki Subramaniam & Bridget Paul Shibu on a December morning of 2020. 

Kalki Subramaniam, born in Pollachi, Tamilnadu is a celebrated Indian transgender activist, poet, artist, inspirational speaker, entrepreneur and actor. She has received numerous awards for her performances, entrepreneurship, literary contribution and social work. L’Oreal Paris India nominated her as the ‘Woman of Worth’ under the arts category as well.

On the other hand, Bridget Paul Shibu is an expert in art management with high experience in curating art exhibitions and shows. Currently, she works in a prestigious art gallery in Coimbatore. 

One fine morning, while discussing Wassily Kandinski (the pioneer of abstract art of Russian origin who believed that geometric lines, colours and forms could express an artist’s inner life), the two artists were inspired to create a platform where domestic and international artists can promote their art on an global scale. Lo and behold, 8 months & one addition in the form of Laura B Sherwood, PhD, the Founder and Director of the Transformative Art Project, Washington DC USA, the IISAF came into being.

The Intention:

Quite simple yet powerful, the intention behind the IISAF is to promote spiritual art and its artists, regardless of their backgrounds, under international exposure. The limelight is for all artists to equally share while harbouring the same emotions they put behind creating their art work.

Recommended Watch: The heartwarming Inaugural Video Message by Dr David Blake Willis, PhD, Professor of Anthropology & Education in California, USA.

The Vision

As per the festival’s directors, SAF’s vision is to bring engagement, excitement and inspiration to art lovers around the world to combat the pandemic blues. Moreover, to encourage the masses to own pieces of art by supporting and encouraging Indian & International artists to exhibit their spiritual art work on a single platform.

With international exposure and commendations coming in from the artistic community from multiple countries. Hence, the future of this spiritual festival in India seems to be solid and bright. Further, it has a huge potential to garner the attention & support of those in the higher echelons in the world of art.

The Themes

If we observe the 70-odd artists that are participating in this festival and feel the personality of their art. A range of themes can be extracted such as, spiritualism, inner peace, awakening, enlightenment, forgiveness and esoteric inner wisdom.  The artists have used their expression of spirituality through universal love, passion, knowledge, purity, healing, brotherhood, meditation, etc.

Many of spiritual art works that you will find here may illicit an emotion or a thought inside you. The aim behind exciting your particular senses is for the exploration of genuine & true inner selves and redirecting your energy inwards.

“Spiritual strength is something we can rely on to stay calm,” says Festival director Kalki Subramaniam.

Conclusion

This eye opening and visually stunning India International Spiritual Art Festival 2021 commenced on 1st August 2021 for a period of 100 days. The whole festival is being hosted online so you still have a week to catch up with the ongoings that are ending on 8th November 2021. 

Recommended Watch: The international artists from IISAF showcase their artwork w/ Laura Sherwood from  Transformative Art Project!

There is a separate portal for the Short films enthusiasts i.e. www.iisff.org wherein interested candidates can submit their pieces for jury review.
For the latest updates and 2022 notifications, one can follow the social media handles. Contact them directly at spiritualartfest@gmail.com or call +91 6379476089.

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