From Expanding Imaginations, an art exhibition by the students of RBANM’s school
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
In 1873, Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar started a free English primary school in Bengaluru’s cantonment area for the benefit of socially-disadvantaged students. A vegetable trader, his visionary move came at a time when such educational opportunities were the purview of the elite and Europeans.
Since then, the institute has come to be popularly known as RBANM’s after its founder, and has grown to include four schools, a pre-university college and a degree college. In keeping with the ethos of Arcot Narrainswamy, a Trust ensures underprivileged children secure not only education but also get a chance to express their creativity.
Expanding Imaginations is an exhibition of the art work by the students of RBANM’s and has been curated by Clare Arni, a British photographer who has made Bengaluru her home. Clare, who has been the head of arts programming at RBANM’s for three-and-a-half years, says, “This show is a culmination of the work I’ve been doing at the school, and includes the efforts of its students from classes seven to ten.”
From Expanding Imaginations, an art exhibition by the students of RBANM’s school
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
As part of the programme, she invites artists from various disciplines to conduct workshops for the children, including stained glass artist Asad Hajeebhoy, who taught them to fashion lightboxes from waste,and miniaturist Mithra Kamalam. Clare teaches the students photography and has designed the curriculum so that each child has one-and-a-half hours of art class a week.
Apart from artists invited from other cities and experts visiting to see the programme firsthand, others such as Bengaluru-based Paper Crane Labs, which combine science and art, also hold programmes for the students.
“There is a broad spectrum of things the children have made over the years including crafts, photography and dance videos, which they choreographed on their own, that are on display,” says Clare, adding that she collated individual art works on to larger panels in order to display the maximum number of pieces.
“When I first started working with the children, they had not studied art before as it was not part of their curriculum. What I’ve tried to do in class is to encourage individual expression and that has really grown over the years. This is reflected at Expanding Imaginations where so much variety is on display.”
From Expanding Imaginations, an art exhibition by the students of RBANM’s school
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
Clare says the artists and others working with the children would give them the basics of a craft and then allow them as much freedom as possible within its scope. “And the resulting diversity is amazing,” she adds.
This is the first time the students are exhibiting their work created over the past three-and-a-half years.
“The high point was having the children see the work they’ve created beautifully displayed in an art gallery. While they were absolutely thrilled to see their work, watching the public come in and appreciate it gave them such a boost.”
Expanding Imaginations will be on display at Sabha till September 25, from 11am till 7pm. Entry free.
Published – September 24, 2025 11:48 am IST