Manipal School, Mangalore

Team name - “Artistic Adventurers”
Adhvith Alva, Manipal School, Mangalore bonding with Nida Maryam Aqhila
I had the privilege of participating in the Art to Connect 2.0 initiative, which I found to be a highly enjoyable and enriching experience. As a student, I not only had the opportunity to create a painting and explore scientific concepts, but also made a valuable new connection with my fellow participant Adhvith.
I believe this experience has allowed me to cultivate several important values within myself. I have gained a deeper sense of humility, compassion and a greater ability to understand and empathise with others.
This journey began with a mix of nervousness and excitement. While I am typically confident in engaging with new people, this experience was unlike anything I had encountered before. Initially, I wondered whether I would be able to sustain compassion and humility, considering my other academic commitments. However, as the experience unfolded, I found that it became much easier than I had anticipated.
We named our team “Artistic Adventurers” since we were about to embark on a fruitful, valuable and artistic adventure which would be filled with fun, joy and learning.
When deciding on the concept to explore through the art form, we chose to create two distinct art works. The first painting would depict a flower; through which we would learn about its various parts.
The second painting would feature the Olympic bronze medal won by M.C Mary Kom, the first Indian female boxer to secure an Olympic medal, at the 2012 Olympics.
Another reason we chose these topics were the values they symbolize. Flowers represent new beginnings, hope and the promise of renewal, as they bloom with changing seasons.
Flowers that bloom in harsh conditions symbolize resilience, perseverance and immense strength while on the other hand, the Olympic medal speaks a lot. One such value that Olympic medal symbolizes national pride reflecting a country's strength, unity, and collective spirit as athletes honour their nation.
In fact, Olympic medallists like M.C Mary Kom inspire us to strive for greatness, symbolizing hope and the possibility of achieving one's dreams through hard work and determination.
Creating these paintings with my friend Adhvith was an enjoyable experience. We had fun experimenting with colours, exploring new concepts, learning valuable lessons and bringing our imagination to life on paper.
This initiative was a highly enjoyable and enriching experience for me. To conclude, I would describe this beautiful journey as on filled with joy, learning science, valuable lessons and creative exploration.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate and I owe much of my success in this initiative to the invaluable guidance and support provided by my teachers Shilpa Ma'am and Deepesh Sir their mentorship enabled me to fully engage in this experience and make the most of it, resulting in a memorable adventure.