Fans of Stranger Things, would you ever have associated The Upside Down with glow in the dark painting sessions and cocktails? Well, that’s what Indrajala Kandimalla plans to do at her upcoming art in the dark experience. And by the end of the two-hour session, participants can take home a piece of Stranger Things memorabilia that they drew.
Thirty-one-year-old Indrajala, a Chennai-based graphic designer and artist, started Jalato, last month, with an aim to offer creative experiences. “My belief is that every individual is inherently creative. I want to give them the platform,” she says.
Many participants who attend these painting in the dark workshops have not even touched a paint brush in decades. But Indrajala just wants them to have fun. “After these sessions, I often hear attendees saying, ‘I didn’t know I could do that!’,” she says. There is a joy people feel when they accomplish something they thought they weren’t good at. And for Indrajala, those satisfied smiles keep her going.
Jalato has a team of six artists. Each event has one artist leading the class, while three others go around helping participants. If someone wants to break free and draw something different, they can do that as well. They are given a canvas each, and paint and brushes.
“I don’t give them pencils or erasers. There is no such thing as a mistake. We want them to embrace mistakes and we show them how things can be rectified,” she says, adding that by the end of the session, people are so excited with their work that they go on to paint each other’s face and hands and it is one big, fun party.
Indrajala conceptualises the experiences. The team then discusses what can be done and break down the drawings, starting with the easiest. “We note down how many strokes and how much time it takes to finish a piece of art. We make sure that the drawing does not exceed more than five steps,” she adds.
The upcoming session is Jalato’s third public event. The theme for the last one was Tropic Like It’s Hot, where participants drew tropical motifs.
Since Dank resto bar is the venue for her public events, the age group starts at 22 and goes up to 60.
The themes are varied. But with Indrajala being a huge fan of pop culture, expect that as well as a bunch of holiday-themed experiences in the near future. She is currently working on a Harry Potter-themed experience for a private party.
Stranger Things - An Upside Down themed experience will take place on October 12 at Dank resto bar, T Nagar, between 7pm and 9pm. It is priced at ₹2,500 per person and includes two drinks.
