Aravani Art Project
Aravani Art Project is a Bengaluru-based, Trans- and cis-women-led art collective that employs trained transgender artists to execute commissioned public murals, wall installations, sensitization workshops, and community art projects for corporate, NGO, educational, and government clients across India.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aravani Art Project does
Aravani Art Project is a Bengaluru-headquartered, Trans-women and cis-women led art collective operating through a dual-entity structure: a registered non-profit called Aravani Art Society (registered under India's Society Act, 1960) and a for-profit collective of artists. Founded by Poornima Sukumar, the collective's first project was a January 2016 mural at K.R. Market in Bangalore, and it has since completed 50+ project chapters across 12+ Indian states plus international engagements in Sri Lanka and Nepal. The core product is commissioned public art — large-scale murals, wall installations, textile art, performance installations, and participatory community projects — executed by a network of 30-50 trained transgender artists distributed across teams in Bangalore (10+), Chennai (3), Mumbai (10+), and Delhi (3).
The collective's underlying methodology centers on participatory, community-engaged art that combines grassroots relationships with the transgender community (described as a 'work-love relationship' built on friendship and trust) with professional art execution. Its proprietary capabilities include a domain-specialized participatory art methodology, a grassroots community engagement model, and cultural documentation/archiving of marginalized community practices (e.g., the 'Naavu Idhivi' project funded by India Foundation for the Arts).
Aravani generates revenue through four streams: commissioned art projects from corporate clients (Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Levi's, Refinitiv, Thoughtworks, GE, Soho House, WeWork); paid sensitization workshops for corporate DEI initiatives; grant funding from foundations (India Foundation for the Arts, Aarogya Seva, MTV Staying Alive Foundation); and freelance art/design income facilitated for transgender artists. Pricing is project-based and negotiated per commission with no standardized tiers. Go-to-market is primarily direct outreach, partnership networks (St+Art India Foundation), and earned media, with social media (Instagram, Facebook) as primary visibility channels. Customer segments span corporates, NGOs and social organizations, educational institutions, government bodies, and arts festivals.
Aravani Art Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aravani Art Project
- Legal name
- Aravani Art Society
- Website
- https://aravaniartproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Aravani Art Project is a Bengaluru-based, Trans- and cis-women-led art collective that employs trained transgender artists to execute commissioned public murals, wall installations, sensitization workshops, and community art projects for corporate, NGO, educational, and government clients across India.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aravani Art Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Art Services
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)
Keywords
Where Aravani Art Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Aravani Art Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Commissioned Art Projects: The for-profit collective generates revenue through commissioned mural art, wall paintings, and installations for corporate offices, public spaces, schools, and events. Corporate clients include Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Levis, Refinitiv, and others who commission art for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- Grant Funding: The registered non-profit (Aravani Art Society) receives grants from foundations for research, documentation, and community projects. Notable grants include India Foundation for the Arts under Project 560 for the Naavu Idhivi documentation project.
- Sensitization Workshops: Conducts paid workshops for corporate employees on gender diversity and inclusion, with trans artists sharing stories and leading interactive drawing sessions. Clients include Microsoft, Thoughtworks, and other enterprises.
- Art Sales and Freelance Projects: Artists from the transgender community earn alternative income through freelance art and design projects facilitated by the collective, developing organizational skills while generating revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Commissioned Projects |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Aravani Art Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aravani Art Project is a trans-women and cis-women led art collective that creates commissioned public murals, wall art installations, and conducts sensitization workshops on gender, sexuality, and inclusion for corporate, institutional, and community clients. The collective mobilizes 50+ artists and community members to deliver custom visual art projects and participatory learning sessions across India.
Product overview
Aravani Art Project operates as a dual-entity art collective comprising the non-profit Aravani Art Society (registered under the Society Act, 1960) and a for-profit collective of artists. The core offering consists of commissioned public art projects—primarily murals and wall installations—created collaboratively with trained transgender artists. Additional offerings include sensitization workshops for corporate and institutional clients. The collective works across cities (Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi) and collaborates with various organizations including corporations (Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Levi's), government bodies, and community organizations. Projects range from large-scale public murals to intimate community installations and art-based awareness workshops.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commissioned public murals and wall art
- Gender and sexuality sensitization workshops
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50 commissioned projects completed across India since 2016, with presence in 12+ states
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Aravani Art Project
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Aravani Art Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Aravani Art Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- St+Art India FoundationcoreOngoing partnership across multiple cities including Delhi (Lodhi Colony), Kolkata (Sonagachi), and Coimbatore (District Library). St+Art organizes street art festivals and brings project opportunities, funding, and institutional connections. The collaboration has produced some of Aravani's most significant public art projects.
- Goldman SachsmajorCorporate commissioning of large-scale mural at Bangalore office. Goldman Sachs engaged Aravani for one of their most detailed and comprehensive wall projects, representing significant revenue and prestige.
- Thoughtworks IndiamajorCommissioned live painting of 9 canvases around themes of gender, diversity, and mental health at Kochi summit. Represents Thoughtworks' commitment to inclusion through art.
- Buguri LibrarycoreRepeated collaboration painting libraries for children of waste-pickers. 'Buguri' means spinning top in Kannada, and the library creates safe reading spaces. Partnership has spanned multiple years with two documented projects.
- CREAminorInternational collaboration at CREA Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal focusing on intersectionality themes. One of Aravani's few international projects, emphasizing cross-cultural feminist exchange.
- Durbar Mahila Samanwaya CommitteecorePartnership representing 65,000 sex workers in Kolkata's Sonagachi district. Aravani painted murals at Durbar Committee clinic serving the community, focusing on empowerment and dignity through art.
- VH1 SupersonicminorArt installation at VH1 Supersonic music festival in Pune, creating visibility for transgender visibility and inclusion at a major entertainment event.
- Green Acres ClubminorCommissioned one of Aravani's longest murals - a 250 ft wall at Green Acres Club in Mumbai's Chembur neighborhood. Demonstrated organizational capacity for large-scale projects.
- WETHEWOMENminorCollaboration at WETHEWOMEN Summit in Bangalore, painting interactive artwork where attendees completed sentences about womanhood.
- The Humsafar TrustcoreRepeated partnership on LGBTQ+ initiatives including Mumbai Pride events, World AIDS Day commemorations, and community engagement projects. Mumbai-based trust working on queer rights.
- GE (General Electric)minorSensitization workshop at GE Bangalore office introducing diverse work environment concepts and inclusion through art education.
- Microsoft IndiamajorMultiple engagements including Bangalore office Pride Month celebration and Hyderabad sensitization workshop. Microsoft represents one of Aravani's most consistent corporate partners.
- Smile Charitable TrustminorCollaboration painting toilets in government schools in rural Chikmagalur and Jalahalli, promoting sanitation awareness alongside transgender visibility.
- Rotary Club ChennaiminorPartnership to improve government school facilities by painting libraries, encouraging student reading and wonder.
- Whitefield Art CollectiveminorCollaborated on VR Mall art car project and textile installation, combining art forms and expanding Aravani's creative repertoire.
- The Sooriya VillageminorInternational collaboration partner for Sri Lanka project - Aravani's first international engagement exploring transgender culture across borders.
- APTN (Asia Pacific Transgender Network)coreCommissioned for Transgender Day of Remembrance 2019, creating artwork and posters about trans people who died, focusing on issues across 6 Asia-Pacific countries.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aravani Art Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Laundromat Project: New York-based nonprofit that embeds artists in community settings to create public art that advances social justice, with a similar small-staff operating model and emphasis on resident artists working alongside communities. Closest international analog by structure and method.
- Nazariya: Delhi-based LGBTQ feminist resource group using art, film and dialogue to advance queer visibility in India. Direct peer in the niche intersection of LGBTQ activism and arts-based programming in India.
- KHOJ International Artists' Association: Delhi-based nonprofit contemporary arts organization supporting emerging artists, residencies, and community-engaged exhibitions. Closely comparable in operating model (artist-run nonprofit producing socially engaged contemporary art in India) and in dual nonprofit/for-profit structure.
- The Humsafar Trust: Mumbai-based LGBTQ+ rights organization providing health, mental health and community programming; Aravani's repeated partner on Mumbai Pride, World AIDS Day and community projects. Direct peer given overlapping LGBTQ+ community focus and shared client base in Mumbai corporate DEI.
- CREA: International feminist human rights organization headquartered in New York/Delhi, using art, research and advocacy to advance gender justice. Direct peer as documented Aravani partner (Nepal conference collaboration) and as a South Asian feminist arts-advocacy organization.
- Maraa: Bangalore-based nonprofit working at the intersection of art, gender, sexuality and community media — operates a community radio station and produces arts and research programming. Direct geographic peer with overlapping mission of using creative practice for marginalized community empowerment.
- St+Art India Foundation: India's largest street art foundation, organizing public mural festivals in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and beyond. Aravani's most strategic partner and the most directly comparable organization — both are nonprofit-led collectives producing commissioned social-impact public art across India.
- Blank Noise: Indian feminist arts collective and registered Trust that mobilizes art, dialogue and public action on gender-based violence and street sexual harassment. Direct peer in mission (art-based feminist activism in India) and collaborative model, though more focused on gender-based violence than trans/LGBTQ issues.
Emerging players
- Sheroes Foundation: Indian social enterprise supporting transgender survivors of gender-based violence, providing livelihood training, shelter and legal advocacy. Closest direct peer specifically in transgender community organizing; differs as Sheroes focuses on social services and livelihood rather than visual art.
Broad incumbents
- Creative Time: New York-based nonprofit producing public art projects with social and political themes for over 50 years. A scaled-up analog with broader institutional funding, comparable model of artist-led commissioned public art as social practice.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aravani Art Project social profiles
Digital presenceAravani Art Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aravani Art Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Aravani Art Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aravani Art Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aravani Art Project
What does Aravani Art Project do?
Aravani Art Project is a trans-women and cis-women led art collective that creates commissioned public murals, wall art installations, and conducts sensitization workshops on gender, sexuality, and inclusion for corporate, institutional, and community clients. The collective mobilizes 50+ artists and community members to deliver custom visual art projects and participatory learning sessions across India.
Is Aravani Art Project a public or private company?
Aravani Art Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Aravani Art Project founded?
Aravani Art Project was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Aravani Art Project based?
Aravani Art Project is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Aravani Art Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Commissioned Art Projects are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding, sensitization Workshops and art Sales and Freelance Projects.
Who are Aravani Art Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Laundromat Project, Nazariya, KHOJ International Artists' Association, The Humsafar Trust, CREA, Maraa, St+Art India Foundation and Blank Noise. Sheroes Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Creative Time is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Aravani Art Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aravani Art Project.
What industry is Aravani Art Project in?
Aravani Art Project's product category is Public Art Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGALAO, Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises. Its NAICS code is 7115 and its SIC code is 7330.