The purpose of any art is to express, to tell a story. Art today is multidimensional derived from themes that are urban or global. Ascending Roots is about exploring the cross-pollination of thoughts and emotions, media and techniques, and style and imagery. Ascending Roots, aims to be a series highlighting contemporary urban artists whose works are deeply rooted in Indian aesthetics. Artists who have, imbibed regional imagery, often times from their immediate surroundings with a local flavour, challenging the contemporary paradigm, ascending their practice into a new realm.  

For more than ten years, Ojas Art has been presenting art at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur and selected cities overseas. Ojas Art Award, celebrates the best in indigenous arts and has recognised artists like Bhajju Shyam, Santosh Kumar Das, Lado Bai, Rajesh Vangad and Mayur & Tushar Vayeda from indigenous communities.

Over the years, Ojas Art has presented installations by artists like KS Radhakrishnan, Subodh Gupta, Orijit Sen and Shiv Verma. Ojas Art has also presented experimental works at Jaipur Literature Festival to bring a different voice to the festival.

“Anubhav Nath has helped bring a different creative aspect to Jaipur Literature Festival for more than ten years now. Ojas Art Award has helped recognise and celebrate creativity from across the country and communities. Our visual arts program at the festival is very unique,” said Sanjoy Roy, Producer, Jaipur Literature Festival.  

In 2023, Manjunath Kamath presented two artworks at Jaipur Literature Festival, Love Poem, a terracotta work and Visvaroopa with Bhajju Shyam and Santosh Kumar Das. In 2025, Veer Munshi presented two artworks from his celebrated Healing Wounds series in which he has collaborated with Kashmiri paper-mache artists.  

“It was very fulfilling to see visitors interact with the artworks at the Jaipur Literature Festival in a very real informal way; something that is not possible in the formal gallery or museum. Art is meant for public and this is a unique way to take art to a different audience, ” said Manjunath Kamath.

“The conversation around my work was very special as the audience was very varied and they had a very different approach in viewing and understanding the artworks. Being on ground in Japiur, gave me a chance to interact with very young people who had a different understanding of the Kahsmir issues” said Veer Munshi.