New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- It was while meandering through Jodhpur's countless bazaar gullies in February that Chila Kumari Burman stumbled upon a local artisan, Abid Shah, working with neon lights and metal grids. It was a serendipitous discovery for the artist, who is based in the UK, since her practice is steeped in neon art and unexpected visual mash-ups. "I instantly knew he was the man to work with," she laughs. For the inaugural edition of the Jodhpur Arts Week by the Public Arts Trust of India (PATI), which concluded recently, Burman worked in collaboration with Shah, and other Jodhpur artisans, who helped bring her vibrant visual language to life.

This partnership echoed this year's theme, Hath ro hunar, which translates to "skill of...