KNMA Mask-a-thon created record with over twelve thousand artwork submissions

New Delhi: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), a leading contemporary art museum working to promote arts, conducted an online nationwide arts/drawing/painting competition for school students called KNMA Mask-a-thon. This initiative was aimed at providing an opportunity for all school going children to showcase their talent.
 
The competition received an overwhelming response from all over the country. Over twelve thousand students from more than five thousand schools across India participated in this competition. Artwork was submitted from more than 200 cities.
 
The KNMA Mask-a-thon had two age categories, ‘Senior’ (11-18 years old) and ‘Junior’ (under 11 years), both categories got an equal response with over 6000+ artworks in each.
 
Our esteemed jury consisted of Kiran Nadar, Chairperson KNMA and Philanthropist, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Executive Director and CEO, HCL Corporation and Roobina Karode, Director and Chief Curator, KNMA. The works were closely evaluated and the winners were chosen in each category.
 
In ‘Senior’ Category
 
First prize goes to Shreya Mondal from Balitikuri, Howrah, West Bengal.
 
Second prize goes to Anvesha Jha from Greater Noida, U.P.
 
Third prize goes to Premlata Chouhan from Azamgarh, U.P.
 
Runners-up prizes go to Rajveer Singh Kapoor (New Delhi), Vaani Gupta (Noida), Devansh Thapliyal, Aarushi Chandrawanshi (Ghaziabad), Uttam Purushottam (Goa).
 
In ‘Junior’ Category
 
First prize goes to Avani Kansal from Panipat, Haryana.
 
Second prize goes to Adona Mary Martin from New Delhi.
 
Third prize goes to Drithi from Udupi, Karnataka.
 
Runners-up prizes go to Amal Dhamotharen (Chennai), Ananya Shrivastava (Hyderabad), Kavy Sahi (Dehradun), R. Deepesh (Chennai), S. Nikhita Sentil (Coimbatore).
 
Prizes totalling Rs 56,000 will be given to all the winners and runners up.
 
Kiran Nadar, KNMA Chairperson extended her congratulation to all the winners of this competition. She said, “In the current world scenario, it is important to not lose focus on the arts. As a country, India has such a wide and vast heritage of art and culture. We should work hard to encourage the new generation to engage with this heritage and reimagine it in their own way. This competition was a small step in that direction.”
 
This initiative was an effort to help encourage children to use their creativity, and allow for engagement with the arts in spite of the extended lockdown in India, that we are just emerging from. The competition challenged schoolchildren to use the mask as a canvas for their creative effort. The choice of the mask is significant as it is one of the main tools being used to combat the virus. It also serves to highlight the key role played by healthcare workers in managing the pandemic. The winning works will be printed on masks and showcased for the world to view.