Initiating conversations through art
With the onset of quarantine, the number of people turning to the arts as a means of relaxation, appreciation, and escape grew like never before. Various artists and groups have been thriving in this newly appreciative space, and collaborating in efforts to help the larger population cope with the change in lifestyles.
Nádia Borges, 2020, 2020, Portugal, Acrylic on Canvas
Among many groups and collaborations, one group in particular caught our eye. Zenolda’s art collective Zimetra, a collection of artists collaborating not only in Sri Lanka, but in other countries as well.
Zenolda is an online store where various types of products are available for purchase. The idea behind the platform is to enable an all-in-one store where you can purchase items related to Fashion, Art, Literature and Essentials. It’s the brainchild of Kaviru Samarawickrama a 25-year-old author of the book Walking In Blind.
When we inquired about how Zimetra came to be, Kaviru explained to us that each product type that is being sold on ZENOLDA addresses a different demographic. In the process, she understood that the Art industry comprises an entirely different community.
“I worked at two of the most prestigious Art Galleries in Colombo and the greatest lesson I learnt from my experience there is that the Art industry is niche,” Kaviru elaborated. “That is the reason for making ZIMETRA its own platform yet connected to the online store. It operates as an Online Gallery and artist portfolio. We have artists working with us to provide Art which is available for purchase on the site, and we try to keep a more on-going conversation with monthly campaigns.”
The idea of the art platform is to be able to give up-coming artists a platform to gain exposure and to share their art with the rest of the world. When asked about the most difficult aspect of heading and maintaining Zimetra, Kaviru noted that earning the artist’s trust definitely was and still is a challenge. “I am an artist myself so I understand that when you contribute to an establishment/platform, you doubt whether they would give the appropriate credit or use it for other purposes.” she told us. However, by the second campaign it became much easier to work with the artists who contributed, she explained.
Zimetra’s purpose and priority of the platform is to be innovative and start a conversation through Art.
Amashi de Mel, Seek Within, 2020, Oil on Canvas, Sri Lanka
Zimetra’s artists and audience constantly engage with the team to contribute to campaigns, and in turn they are encouraged to share, print and distribute the catalogs in their respective country. One thing Kaviru notes with pride is that through their campaigns, they have realized that there are really young artists who are extremely talented as well. By giving them the opportunity to be featured on Zimetra’s Art Catalogs across their multiple social platforms and audience, they can use it as an added qualification for their portfolio and future.
What’s more, so far Zimetra has been thriving in terms of engagement and reach. There are many artists from all over the world who are extremely talented yet have little exposure to thrive who benefit from this platform. Both local and global artists are eager to contribute to new projects, and Zimetra is about innovation and creativity so each project is different from the other.
At the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic breakout, people were unsure as to what the virus was and where it originated from. At the time there was a lot of buzz about how directors had predicted the outbreak in movies. As a response Zimetra created a compilation of movies since the ‘90s that featured the spreading of a deadly plague or virus. This was created in the form of a video titled THE CRISIS | An Exhibition on Coronavirus Predictions in Movies.
Moving toward April, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown made people switch from physical to online browsing products. This definitely became an opportunity for a lot of online businesses to thrive.
“Many artists during the start of the pandemic were creating art inspired by COVID to show gratitude to the soldiers at the front-lines, empathy toward the sick and deceased and prayers to everyone trying their best to survive in the time of crisis. We spearheaded the campaign COVID-19 Inspired Art From Around The Globe that compiled 31 Artworks from Artists from 12 countries. Each artist had something valuable to say about the cause.”
Shahdia Jamaldeen, Quarantine I, 2020, Illustration.
In May, Zimetra led the campaign Art Therapy. A known Therapeutic technique where creative expression can help in coping with stress, art therapy helped at a time when quarantine became a difficult time globally.
“As an effort to get the community back on its feet, we created a collection of Line Art from Artists living in India, Sri Lanka, Latvia and Philippines. This was created as a booklet where people could download, print and use it for therapeutic means to colour. We have had responses from the audience who enjoyed colouring as stress relief.” Kaviru said, noting their accomplishments with pride.
Follow them on https://www.facebook.com/zimetraart-102026568086705/