Kitsch Art is a living example of the fact that- Imperfection is sometimes the perfect form of art. It is an art type which is considered tasteless, pretentious & in a bad state. But for me, it is the most down-to-earth way of expressing one’s local culture. Indian Kitsch has popped out of Pop Culture. Our street scenes, ways of life, truck art, public walls, martyrs, cinema icons, etc. are translated by Kitsch on notebooks, trays, mugs, laptop skins/covers, fb stickers/emoticons, smartphone cases, apparel, camera bags, key-chains, fridge magnets etc. You point a product and Indian Kitsch sits there. Also, different parts of India have their own sub-local/folk interpretations of of this art.
To involve oneself into Kitsch art is to go global while painting local. I have seen many a foreign tourists pick up Kitschy Indian souvenirs at the IGI Airport, New Delhi. Also, brands are now shipping products out of India.
Kitsch is the art for the Youth. Young generation finds it cool. It is Indi-cool to have an India inspired notepad to take notes in an International Seminar or hang a cotton kitsch tote on your shoulder. It is trendy to have your laptop skin Indian-ised with a street scene or elements like Rickshaw, Auto, Taxi, Bani Thani, Kathakali, Truck art etc. But with the increasing number of Kitsch brands in India, this art which was once considered chic, is now moving towards the path of cliches. None the less, Indian Kitsch Art makes one keep a part of India with her/him. Sometimes, to long for more of it.
While Indian Kitsch has the dual power of attraction and repulsion- I chose the former. My bespoke love for Indian Kitsch germinated when I was studying in a Design School in Delhi back in 2007. Kitsch artists and brands hadn’t sprung up so much as it is today. I used to adore works of my schools’ alumnus and a renowned designer, Manish Arora. His kitsch sensibilities are Bold and I like them. It is my child-like fascinations for the unsophisticated that has grown the love for kitsch inside me. Somehow, I find flamboyant energy in this art & its melodramatic, over-done brightness fills up a typical day in my life.
Inko dekh kar mujhe “Kitsch Kitsch hota hai !” 🙂 (I feel kitschy when I see them)
Here are some hand-painted/hand-created artworks from my art archive of 2008 evoking Indian kitsch feelings.
1. Namaste
inspiration: Indian Truck Art
2. Taxi Stripes
inspiration: Indian Taxis & Number Plates
3. Scratch-Vatch
inspiration: Public Walls
4. Phata Poster
inspiration: Public walls + Torn Wall Posters, Indian lotus motif
5. Kichad ka Kamal
inspiration: Pan spits on public walls.
6. Tera Muh Kala
inspiration: Public walls & gates, Indian kitsch slogans
THE COMPOUND INTEREST 
Great post!
Thank you @Zuri. I am glad you liked it. 🙂