Mumbai, September 25: Indian driver Kush Maini will race at the Baku Grand Prix weekend wearing a helmet that carries artwork by two former students of the Akanksha Foundation.
The designs are by Aalfiya and Aditi, who made them as students under the foundation’s “Art for Akanksha” programme. Both are now 21 and Akanksha alumni.
Maini goes into the races in good form on track. He qualified fourth and fifth in Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2 and will be looking to turn that pace into points.
The story behind the artwork
The helmet was brought to life by Nicolaj Jacobsen, a Danish helmet and motorsport designer and former racing driver who runs NJ Design. He has more than 10 years of experience designing helmets for racing drivers.
Aalfiya’s piece reflects her memories of her hometown in Maharashtra: the cool breeze by the river, birdsong, open skies, flowers and earth.
Aditi’s artwork is a mandala. It starts with a single dot at the centre and grows into detailed patterns. She said the process relaxed her and showed her the link between mathematics and art through geometry.
‘It matters a great deal to me’
“Akanksha does work that genuinely changes what’s possible for these children, and I wanted my helmet to carry that forward,” Maini said. “Supporting kids like Aalfiya and Aditi, and the people at Akanksha who make that possible, matters a great deal to me.”
Ruchika Gupta, Senior Director, Art for Akanksha, said: “What makes this collaboration special is seeing two young artists have their work recognised on such an unexpected and exciting platform. Aalfiya and Aditi have brought their own experiences and perspectives to their art, and seeing that work travel to the F2 grid is a wonderful affirmation of the value of giving children the space to create and express themselves.”
The Akanksha Foundation has worked for more than 35 years to bring quality education to children from under-served communities. It runs 28 schools in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur with municipal corporations, reaching more than 15,000 students, and has over 5,800 alumni. Art for Akanksha is now in 144 schools across eight states, reaching more than 54,000 children through 158 teachers.
