Inclusivity straight from the art

An initiative by actress-author Lisa Ray pushes the boundaries of acceptability

- By Arman Khan

conversations around art take many forms. On the most basic level, there is a simple question: How relevant is art? More importantly, what kind of artists get the limelight? Any space that curates art, from a specific region or otherwise, often has to grapple with these questions and strike a fine balance between the relevance of art and the pool of artists that merit the spotlight.

“ARTISTS HAVE MARVELLED AT HOW THE DIGITAL MEDIUM ALLOWS THEIR BRUSHSTROKES TO ACTUALLY BE IN MOTION" LISA RAY

When Lisa Ray and Singapore-based art patron Ayesha Khan founded The Upside Space, a curator-led NFT marketplace spotlighting art and artists from Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, they were acutely aware of how intimidating art can seem. The space opened to the world recently on December 8, 2022.

“It represents the new evolution in art but this new evolution is inclusive and welcome,” Lisa says. For us, it’s a process of exploration. We want people to feel that someone is taking them by the hand.”

She clarifies that The Upside Space is not a tech company but a creators’ ecosystem,” and it helped that the team comprised people from precisely the very regions they aim to highlight. Ray says that all of them always felt that the artistic expressions in their regions, ranging from traditional to contemporary, are so strong that they had to amplify these artistic voices themselves since no one else would do it for them. We want to tear the doors off the frames; it’s the next evolution of art,” says Ray.

Beyond the barriers