🌈 GayBombay Art Meet 2025 – Event Report
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Venue: 3 Art House, Ajanta Building, Khar West, Mumbai
Attendees: 35 registered participants

🎨 An Evening of Expression, Connection, and Healing
The GayBombay Art Meet 2025 unfolded on a warm Sunday evening in the vibrant creative sanctuary of 3 Art House, Khar West, bringing together 35 queer individuals for a shared journey into color, connection, and catharsis.

As the doors opened, a sense of quiet anticipation hung in the air — and by the time the event drew to a close, what remained was a deep, collective sense of fulfillment and emotional release.

🧘‍♂️ Starting with Stillness: A Visualization Meditation
The evening began with a gentle guided visualisation, inviting each participant to leave behind the noise of the outside world and enter a space of inner calm. As soft music filled the room, eyes closed and breathing slowed, participants journeyed into the landscapes of their imagination — a prelude to the art that would soon pour out from hands and hearts alike.

This meditative beginning grounded the group, allowing everyone to tune into their emotions and creativity, preparing a fertile ground for honest, vulnerable self-expression.

🖌️ Art as Liberation: Unleashing Queer Creativity
For the next two hours, the venue came alive with quiet hums, bursts of laughter, the scratching of pastels, and the soft swoosh of paintbrushes. Participants gathered around shared tables, bonding over collaborative and individual art-making, using provided materials — while some brought their own brushes, pens, and memories.

For many queer folks, especially those who don’t express themselves easily through words or voice, art offers a rare and profound therapeutic release. This space welcomed non-verbal expression, giving room to stories that had waited long to be seen. Through brushstrokes, smudges, symbols, and colors, attendees externalized inner battles, dreams, joys, and longings — often surprising themselves in the process.

One participant said, “I’ve never made art like this. I didn’t know this was inside me.”

🖼️ The Gallery Wall: Each Piece, a Window to the Soul
As each artwork was completed, it was displayed on a designated gallery wall, transforming the space into a living exhibition. Participants took turns standing before the group, sharing the stories behind their creations.

What emerged was not just art — but testimonies of resilience, tenderness, grief, rage, healing, and hope. Paintings that at first appeared abstract unfolded into deeply personal narratives once their creators spoke. The emotional weight in the room was palpable. Some eyes welled up, others nodded in recognition. Many found reflections of their own journeys in someone else’s story.

It wasn’t about skill or technique — it was about truth.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 More than Art: Bonding, Belonging, and Snacks
As the evening progressed, shared snacks and drinks provided the perfect backdrop for conversation and connection. Over sandwiches, cookies, and cold drinks, strangers turned into companions, and companions turned into confidants.

Even the 3 Art House team, who had so generously hosted the event, found themselves drawn into the group’s energy — chatting, admiring the artworks, and sharing in the laughter and intimacy of the evening. They weren’t just hosts anymore; they were part of the circle.

🧹 Closing the Circle: Collective Cleanup and Care
As the clock neared 9:00 PM, the community spirit shone even brighter. Without needing reminders, attendees began cleaning up — wiping tables, packing paints, organizing brushes, and leaving the venue spotless. It was a quiet but powerful reminder: in queer spaces, care is reciprocal. Every speck of glitter and trace of paint was cleared with the same love it was created with.

🌈 Why This Matters: Queer Depth in a Swipe Culture
In a world where queer connection is often reduced to the surface-level swipes of dating apps, where conversations are fleeting and depth is rare, spaces like the GayBombay Art Meet offer something essential: authenticity, vulnerability, and community.

This wasn’t a space driven by desire or performance — but by expression, healing, and solidarity. It reminded us that queerness is not just about identity — it’s about creativity, emotion, and shared humanity.

One attendee summed it up perfectly:
“This is what I’ve been missing. I’ve gone on so many dates that led nowhere, but tonight I felt truly seen.”

🙏 Gratitude
We extend our heartfelt thanks to:

All 35 participants for showing up with courage and openness

3 Art House, for not only offering us a venue but becoming a part of our journey

Everyone who cleaned, carried, shared, and simply showed up with kindness

📸 Photos & Memories
A few photos from the evening will be shared shortly on the GayBombay social handles. If you were photographed and would prefer your image not to be posted, please reach out to us.

💬 Closing Words
As we packed up our materials and hugged goodbye, one thing was clear — this wasn’t just an art meet; it was a soul meet. And in today’s fragmented world, such profound, creative gatherings are not a luxury — they’re a necessity.

We look forward to hosting more such spaces of meaning, expression, and joy. Until then — stay safe, stay creative, and stay connected.

Warmly,
Sachin Jain
GayBombay Core Team

Please find the Instagram links to the videos and more pictures: Click Here