Farmers Movement Archive

LU students depict stress, struggle of farmers via art

LUCKNOW: Crops are ready to be harvested but farmers are on the roads protesting. The stress, struggle and disappointment of protesting farmers against new farm laws have been depicted by students of the College of Fine Arts and Crafts, Lucknow University, through artwork. To express their solidarity, a team of four students has put up an art installation using bamboo, earthen pots, straws, and clothes to depict a scene of the stressed mental and physical state of the protesting farmers. “The hanging scarecrow-like structures from a tree made from bamboo and earthen pots depict farmers committing suicide as they are sad,” said Suneel Kumar, a student of master’s of visual arts and one of the team members. BFA student Niharika Singh said, “We have also made cruel ravens which symbolise corporates eyeing to make profit from farmers’ hard work.” MFA student Vishal Gupta said, “The seeds sown are symbolic of the hardships faced by a farmer who grows a crop with sweat and toil.” “The installation is a voice in support of the farmers and how we should honour them as they provide food to us and are the basic unit of agricultural development,” said Jay Narayan, another student. Faculty in Kanpur University Ajay Kumar, who guided the students, said, “We had sown wheat and have used the live plants as crops.” The installation was made under the guidance of assistant professor Dharmendra Kumar. The artwork will remain installed till the protest continues.

The Times of India

2021-01-18

Lucknow