Lati Art was started by none other than Kanchan Jadli.
India is a country of various cultures. While people are aware of most of them, some of these are overshadowed. This is what inspired Kanchan to start her journey. Kanchan hails from the beautiful hill station of Lansdowne, Uttarakhand. She completed her graduation in Fine Arts from Government College of Chandigarh and topped it up with post-graduation in History of Art from Punjab University.
Being born and bought up here in the beautiful abode of the Himalayas, she was always drawn towards art. The little girl who used to scribble on walls did not give up on her dreams and continued her quest to be a cartoonist. Kanchan says that she discovered that she could say things with colours and shapes for which she had no words.
Kanchan started Lati Art during her stay in her village due to lockdown. She explored the Himalayas during this lockdown and felt an instant connection with her culture. She wanted people to know more about the beauty of Pahadi culture. Hence, Lati Art was created.
Lati, a word that translates to ‘silly girl’ in both Garwahli and Kumauni language, is something that resonates easily with the mass.
She used social media platforms to make people reconnect with their roots and understand their culture better. In her cute little cartoons, the character is seen dressed up in traditional Pahadi costumes and jewellery such as Gullaband and the
traditional Pahadi Nath along with the yellow and red drape called Pichchoda.
One of the reasons why she chose to make cartoons is that they attract kids a lot. Why this is so important is because these kids bear the responsibility for taking our culture forward. Through Lati, Kanchan connects people to different sides of Uttarakhand like tourism, language, dialects, folklore, folk tales, pilgrimage, food, history, and festivals. Lati Art is not just about fun. Kanchan, through her illustrations, covers serious issues such as environmental degradation, wildlife and forest loss, migration, and unsustainable tourism.
She says the biggest success is when she gets messages from people telling how their children love her art. They tell her how they dance with the cartoons. According to Kanchan, people thanking her for her effort to preserve disappearing culture are her energy source. Kids are totally in love with Lati and her friends. Kanchan Jadli has definitely created a buzz for a cause on social media, and we hope that Our Lati keeps getting the recognition that she deserves.