By Siddhi Desai
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must have heard of the photo editing appPrisma. This app uses a combination of neural networks and artificial intelligence to transform photos into works of art.
While we all have tried our hands on the filters that are inspired by Van Gogh, Picasso, Hokusai and others; you can now give an Indian flavor to your photo memories by applying some new filters inspired by Indian artwork and culture!
The Prisma art filter app’s new Indian filters include Kathakali, MF Hussain, Thota Vaikuntam and Horn Ok Please. Each filter has a distinctive colour palette and unique output that serve as a great homage to the heritage it is inspired by.
kathakali edit
Kathakali filter (Image: Siddhi Desai)
The Kathakali filter is inspired by the classical dance form of Kerala. Rooted in the story play genre of dance, Kathakali is known for
its elaborate costumes, colourful makeup and intricate performances. The story play aspect of the dance form emerges through dance routines retelling timeless Indian tales like Ramayana, Mahabharata and other such timeless Indian epics. The thumbnail depicts a dancers in the typical green coloured Pacha makeup. The filter promises to make your images as dramatic as the dance form.
Mf Hussain edit
MF Husain filter (Image: Siddhi Desai)
The eponymous MF Hussain filter pays tribute to the internationally acclaimed artist. He was the founder of the Progressive Artists Group of Bombay, a group of modern artists based in Mumbai, which still inspire the art scene around the world. Following the controversy over the painter’s depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses in 2006, the painter was living abroad in self-imposed exile and died abroad on 9 June 2011. The filter will help you give a touch of modernism to your photography.
Thota Vaikuntam edit
Thota Vaikuntam filter (Image: Siddhi Desai)
In contrast to Hussain’s modern art, Thota Vaikuntam’s classic folk paintings draws inspiration from the simplicity of rural lifestyle. The Hyderabadi artist is known for his expressive paint and charcoal canvases of Telangana women. Considering the history of MF Hussain, the artist was initially apprehensive to reveal his artwork to the world.
The Prisma artwork from this filter will primarily have earthy and rustic tones, and similar to the artist’s art style, the filter will have only primary colours. Vaikuntam explains toSaffronart that primarily colours like reds and saffron are more Indian colours. He adds that, “I don’t like using colours that are mix of two, because they are not natural, they don’t exist in surroundings around us, in our everyday life”.
horn ok please edit
Horn Ok Please filter (Image: Siddhi Desai)
The Horn Ok Please filter comes from the phrase painted over trucks and commercial vehicles all over the country in vibrant colours and varied fonts and styles. The origin of Horn Ok Please is debated, but you can check out this Quora thread that explores the likely theories. This filter will emulate the bright, neon colour scheme that the we’ve come to indentify this phrase with and give photos a pop art vibe to them.
Regarding other updates from the app, Prisma is now available for videos on iOS starting from iPhone 6 and Android users can now process photos offline without any Internet connection. Which Indian Prisma filter will you be using to create your new works of art?