Red Bull Doodle Art is a global competition that empowers a new generation of artists by inviting students and those with a creative bent of mind to let their minds wander and put their imaginative doodles on paper. Red Bull Doodle Art India editions have taken place in 2010, 2014, 2017, and for the first time, the national final took place in Calcutta on April 2, at the NIFT grounds. The 2023 edition of Red Bull Doodle Art introduced Web3 and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The judges for the India finals in Calcutta were artist Rob, the host from the art show M.A.D and Red Bull Doodle Art 2014 winner Santanu Hazarika. In this “phygital” experience involving both the physical and digital realms of art, the India winner will be invited to the World Final in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where a panel of renowned experts will choose the 2023 Red Bull Doodle Art winner. Over 1,000 people participated in the Red Bull Doodle Art. Tanaya Sharma from Bombay, Rahul Sengupta from Assam and Amal Unnikrishnan Nair from Bombay were the three finalists to qualify for the India finals, with Amal bagging the coveted ticket to Amsterdam.
The three selected doodle artworks of the Indian finalists were displayed on the artistic interpretation of the Victoria Memorial among other artwork entries.
NIFT students clicked pictures in front of the exhibited doodle artworks.
Amal Unnikrishnan Nair was the winner of the Red Bull Doodle Art India final and will represent India in Amsterdam at the World Final. Amal explained his message through his artwork. He said: “I wonder why so many videos showcase violence on animals. The supreme creator equally creates them. They deserve to be on the planet as much as humans. The concrete jungle, the baby of the most intelligent animal on this planet, has chosen to ignore the concept of coexistence. Imagine waking up in a room filled with random people and these random people are humans, apparently the most intelligent species. This artwork depicts animals, whose homes we have been destroying to build ours and they have come back to pay a visit. Earth is a beautiful planet and coexistence is a beautiful concept. I hope I can spread this message through my art. I’m feeling super excited about representing my country in Amsterdam.”
