In the conversation with, Shruti Vij, What inspired you to pick up the brush?
Well, it was never that one moment but art was always a part of me. I used to draw and paint as a child. In my school, fortunately for me, art was taken very seriously. We had at least two hours dedicated to art every week during school hours and sometimes even after school hours. I was mentored by a very good art teacher, which sort of laid the foundation art for me. In my post grad years at NIFT, I was more closely acquainted with art and learnt a lot about styles and works of other artists from across the world. I was always connected with art but started pursuing it full time in early 2000s. It was a gradual progression for me to become a full-time artist.
How Gurgoan is instrumental in shaping up your dream…
Your surroundings inspire and influence your work and Gurugram has been a huge part of my art journey. I feel it gives you more avenues, it’s more welcoming to new artists and genres. I have held several exhibitions in Gurugram and each of them was an enriching experience. It’s cosmopolitan culture inspired my pop art, in fact, I started exploring pop art after moving here.
Unlike in the capital, where people are more conservative in their approach to buying art, here in Gurgaon they are more open to the experimental art of young, upcoming artists. My art found a whole new clientele in Gurgaon.
Did pandemic leave a bad impact on your work…or did it have a positive impact as well…
As an artist I saw an opportunity in this and started expressing my feelings on canvas. I was inspired to create and these unprecedented times did bring out the best in me. The artist in me was at her creative best And I couldn’t ask for more. I was inspired and how.Yes, the pandemic did have a bad impact in terms that we could not exhibit our artworks physically as there were no art shows and exhibitions. But I did have ample time to discover new styles and techniques for experimentation in art. In the process I could learn new and different techniques which I incorporated in my latest work.
I did see many of my friends try their hand at cooking, poetry, writing, singing et al. Many of us discovered facets of our personalities and creativity which we didn’t know existed. The lockdown taught us to slow down and reflect, it taught us to unravel our hidden traits and have a new perspective on a lot of things that we otherwise took for granted.
