The complex interplay of science and art has fascinated thinkers, artists, and scholars throughout history. The Sci-Art Challenge offered young artists a platform to express their understanding and imagination of science through art and storytelling.

Students showcased their talents by submitting their illustrations or comic strips on one of the following themes :

• A World Without Vaccines
• Human-Nature Conflict
• Developments in Agriculture

Here are glimpses of some unique, imaginative work by the participants:

Art illustrations 

Skanda Ravindra, Grade XI, The Hindu Senior Secondary School, Indira Nagar, Chennai 

“My artwork explores the aftermath of the consequences of the human nature conflict that we deal with, especially the biggest one being the conflict of climate change that is being inflicted upon us and other living beings due to this very continued conflict. It is a grim reminder to what extent nature will respond to our ignorant onslaught, which is the confrontation with it, the result being the exploitation of nature and its consequences.”

Tejal M, Grade VIII, Good Shepherd International School, M Palada, Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu 

“My artwork talks about how humans in the process of developing the world are destroying mother nature and how mother nature can fight back. Developing technology is good but we should not destroy what we live on. We can live without technology but we cannot live without Mother Nature who gives us everything we need to live so we should protect it and not destroy it. But not everybody understands this and is only behind ruining nature for their benefit but they don’t understand that it’s their loss. Mother Nature will give us a chance every time to stop what we are doing and protect her but now we have tested her patience it is time for her to do something and this artwork shows what will happen when Mother Nature revolts against us.”

Manthan Shailesh Bhai Ramani, Grade IX, Good Shepherd International School, M Palada, Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu 

“My artwork shows how a human’s daily life would be affected if no vaccines were invented. It also shows how different diseases and viruses affect the world and kill a unanimous amount of people worldwide. It also symbolises that people were imprisoned in their homes that were like jails for them because of various lockdowns due to the widespread viruses. It also shows how wherever people went, they needed to wear masks.”

Special mentions 

Meenakshi Dikshit, Grade XI, Silicon City Academy of Secondary Education, Bengaluru

“The illustration symbolises the conflict between nature and the rapid urbanisation and industrialisation at the cost of nature. In the illustration, each fist clashes against the other, one representing nature and the other representing the unchecked growth of urbanisation and industrialisation in an unsustainable manner.”

Comic illustrations 

Vartika Kushwaha, Grade IX, Sagar Public School, Bhopal

“Sustainable development is the key to addressing all environmental issues that mankind struggles with today. Wars cannot bring any permanent solution to any of these imminent issues. The Scientists and Research workers are the torchbearers of our future.”

Sachi Pandey, Grade XI, Amity International School, Ghaziabad

“A world without vaccines is a dangerous world where the biggest enemies are the animals and humans creating diseases. The eyebrows and eyes of the girl depict the ​‘before and after’ vaccine situation. The right and left show the diseases, and the mask worn by the girl illustrates the doctors trying to kill the viruses. In the background, one can see how washing our hands and keeping them clean can help prevent diseases.”

Arnav Ghosh, Grade XII, Sagar Public School, Saket Nagar, Bhopal

“This comic strip is about a world without vaccines. The city of Seoney is divided into two regions. One is inhabited by the people who are infected and the other by the healthy folks. Satya, a medical resident, encounters numerous obstacles after becoming ensnared in the realm of the infected. In this story, Shyama, an 8‑year-old suffering from polio is also introduced and she accompanies Satya. The names of both characters have significant meanings. Shyama denotes ​“darkness” and Satya means ​“the truth”. Will Satya be able to get out of the domain of the infected?

More details of the event are available here.