Easel Stories: Painting a Brighter Future for Indian Art and Artists

They want to open up their homes and come into cafes and bring art to everybody. They hold talks or art classes aiding them to share this passion and love they have for art with the wider world”, stated Tarunima Sen, Founder, Easel Stories.

Furthermore, the gallery is not specific to a certain art form or a certain artist, it’s for everyone. It is an open and candid space that welcomes unseen artists to come or help bring the platform to them, where their art can be seen and recognized.

“We love doing shows that are different and are based on themes or concepts. Easel Stories is not just artistically inclined, we are also something emotionally inclined towards our work”, highlights Tarunima.

The Origins

The first conversation was not about opening an art gallery or being a collector and curator. Tarunima and her husband, Akshay Chandra, co-founder of Easel Stories started on a journey to understand and explore the art market of India.

This journey exposed the couple to the hardship and struggles of artists in the country. As they built their space, they were most aware of making it open for artist to come and showcase their talent and find a platform.

Their collective learnings and studies helped them broaden their knowledge and build a space for all artist alike.

Giving Back More Than We Get

Easel Stories Art gallery has strengthened and built its connections within the art community respecting both artist and galleries. Easel Stories has given platform for artists to come have their art viewed and reviewed. This gallery focuses on discovering original talent and respecting individual artists.

In recent times, technological expansion has attracted a diverse audience, supporting new artists and making the market unique. Tarunima thinks that the social media world is where the future does lie, wherein everybody is trying to blend and reap the benefits out of it.

“But I think I'm old school. I would like to physically interact with an art, a photograph, or a painting, rather than having a screen putting that out. I'm not against the idea of technology.

We will slowly blend into it”, but I prefer my physical space with art in it,” signifies Tarunima.

For example she elaborates, the art gallery organized a show in Kolkata honoring artist Bikash Poddar (Beyond Serene Horizons) along with a book release focusing on his origin and artistic career.

This physical platform gave visitors an opportunity to interact with the artworks and the artist along with viewing the book. These opportunities, Tarunima feels, are missing from the online world of art.

The Path Ahead

Easel Stories tries to give back whenever they can, either to the artist community or to the society. This is what defines Easel Stories and gives it a competitive edge.

Easel stories fosters value-driven connections between artists, collectors and curators, staying true to its artistic vision while creating meaningful opportunities for emerging and established artist alike.

“We are emotionally driven and I am glad that we're doing what we're doing”, stated Tarunima. Reflecting ahead, she says, “As a woman, things can often feel more entangled and messier but somehow, we find a way to balance it all”.

With the support of her family, Tarunima continues to navigate her roles as a photographer, gallerist and individual with grace and determination.