The Kala Foundation: Bridging Cultural Artistry and Global Accessibility

Palak Bhatt's Award-Winning Initiative to Globalize Indian Folk Paintings

India, known for its rich cultural heritage, boasts a myriad of unique art forms. Each region has its distinct style of painting, a diversity that Bhatt, who hails from Western India, wanted to showcase. After moving to San Francisco, she noticed a lack of awareness about these art forms in the US and decided to take action. The Kala Foundation was born out of this desire to promote Indian Folk Paintings and make them accessible to a wider audience.

The Kala Foundation focuses on three distinct forms of Indian Folk Paintings: Madhubani painting from Bihar, Gond painting from Madhya Pradesh, and Warli painting from Maharashtra. The project, which started in December 2016 and concluded a year later, involved a month-long research trip to India. Bhatt met with artists, learning about their processes and their views on introducing their paintings to the international market.

The foundation's unique properties lie in its innovative use of technology. Bhatt used Sketch for designing, InVision for prototypes, and Adobe Creative Cloud for editing and mocks. The result is a platform where art enthusiasts can find and order existing Indian folk paintings with a customization feature. The Kala Foundation website and mobile app bridge the gap between the artist and art enthusiasts, introducing Indian folk paintings with the process and techniques.

One of the challenges Bhatt faced was connecting the Indian Folk artists to the US market, with language being a significant barrier. The Kala Foundation addresses this by removing the language barrier and supporting the artists by uplifting their livelihood. The foundation consists of a website, mobile app, exhibit with editorial books, and products that help connect these paintings to a larger audience.

Palak Bhatt's Kala Foundation is an excellent example of how design and technology can be used to promote cultural heritage and make it accessible to a global audience. The project not only showcases the beauty of Indian Folk Paintings but also supports the artists behind them, making it a worthy recipient of the Silver A' Design Award.