Category: Interviews

Thiruvananthapuram-based Simi Rajan, who creates enchanting works of art in attractive colours and amazing details, shares her art journey with N. Kalyani, and what goes into making her stunning works

You were teaching at a school. What were the subjects you taught? How was the experience?

started my teaching career at the Rai School in Delhi in the year 2000. I taught science for classes 6, 7 and 8, and biology for 9 and 10. I always tried to go beyond the textbook and to help my students understand the fundamentals of biology better through experiments and diagrams. One of my favourites teaching preferences was drawing diagrams across the blackboards and watching the kids interact. Through my teaching years, I explored different methods and activities to help students understand the subject better. This helped them think outside the box. My classes were always appreciated for creative and innovative thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed my teaching years and connecting with young minds. I’ve always believed that we have so much to learn from youngsters!

You moved from teaching to pursuing art. When did you make the move? And what prompted you to do so?

Teaching helped me earn some money without taking away attention from my growing daughters and made those years very memorable for me. Both my daughters are creative, being into sketching and painting. And they made me realize my deep interest in art. Once they left for higher studies, I was ready to give wings to my passion. In 2014, I gave up teaching, and my art journey began in Trivandrum. I started exploring different art styles to know which resonated with me.

You are into mural painting. Please tell us more about the art form.

Mural paintings are the oldest human art form, as cave paintings at numerous ancient human settlements suggest, and can be found all over the globe. The mural paintings I got attracted to are old traditional paintings depicting Hindu mythologies painted across temple walls and palaces in Kerala. They point to an abounding tradition of mural paintings mostly dating back to the period between the 9th and 12th centuries when the form of art enjoyed royal patronage. Sanskrit texts also discuss in detail the style and effectiveness of the five dominant colours in mural paintings: scarlet red, Prussian blue, sap green, yellow ochre and black.

What attracted you to mural art? And how did you train to be a mural painter?

I shifted to the beautiful state of Kerala after my marriage. Here I was introduced to this special traditional art that inspired me deeply. I was a regular visitor to Guruvayoor temple. and the murals of Guruvayoor and Padmanabha Swamy temples are fascinating. I started learning the depths of mural art at Guruvayur Mural Art Institute in 2915 under the guidance of K.U. Krishnakumar. Subsequently, I also got trained by Prince Thonnakal, near Trivandrum, who helped me add an x-factor to my work. Learning from different artists and at different places enabled me to get a holistic understanding of the art and find my own space in the world of mural art.

How do you execute the murals? What are the paints amenable to making murals? How do you create details in the murals?

I first draw the intended picture on canvas with an HB pencil, and then use acrylic paints. And long hair brushes are used for painting. In the Kerala style of mural painting, it is basically five colours that are used. If we want any other colour, we can mix 2 to 3 colours out of the 5 basic colours. Black ink is used for lining the painting after it is done. I feel that the detailing in a painting happens on its own as I get involved in the theme of the painting. The day I have to do a difficult part of a painting and contemplate how I will do it, I pray during my pooja time and seek blessings to paint in the best way, and surprisingly it happens. I am really thankful to God. While painting, I enjoy listening to spiritual music. In murals, at first, we always make the ornaments, then comes the apparel, after which comes the surroundings and, in the end, the face and the figure. Lastly, black lining is given for impact.

What other art forms do you engage in?

For me, art is a way to add color and fun to life. I like to explore different art forms, ranging from Madbubani folk art to fabric painting to modern art. I also like to express my creativity through gardening, dancing and even cooking!

Going back in time, when did your interest in art take root?

I was born in Patna, Bihar, and brought up in Ranchi, Jharkhand. I always participated in cultural programmes. I remember bunking classes to paint props for school events. That’s the only time bunking a class resulted in praises! In college, I was able to explore different painting styles. It was here that I was introduced to the world of art and design. My father still has the first painting I ever made displayed in his living room!

Coming back to your murals, which places are adorned by your works?

I have created a series of mural paintings for different spaces. These places include the Chitragupta School of Management at Patna, and the Bhopal museum. It takes time to create a mural painting. By the time it is over, there is a taker. I just completed a 15’x3’ Dashavatar (the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) acrylic painting on canvas based on request. And I am currently creating a 15’x3’ mural painting based on Sundarkand (from the Ramayana). I hope this beautiful art form gets more recognition.

Kolkata-based Swati Pasari has always heeded her inner callings rather than following the norm. She gave up her family business as she found her calling in art to spread happiness

Swati Pasari comes across as a lively and carefree young girl. However, one look at her art shows her highly evolved, conscious, spiritual inclination and deep-rooted persona. A Marwari girl from Kolkata in her teens, coming back from Australia with a degree in business management to join her father’s business, decided against it. She found her calling in art to spread happiness. Art Soul Life magazine chats with this young and evolved artist to know more about her persona and her art.

What made you opt for art as a career?

I was never interested in number crunching and board meetings. I was more of a free bird who wanted to explore the various facets of the world, touch lives in whatever I do and spread happiness. I was inspired by my grandfather who believed in serving humanity and was running an NGO in Banaras. So in order to find my true calling, I started pranic healing and painting and before I knew it, I fell in love with both.

Can you tell us more about your art?

I have always believed in creating abstract art and my biggest influencers are subjects, rather than people. Even though most of my artworks and sculptures might seem religious, if you notice carefully, they delve more into the spiritual aspect of the world. The beauty of abstract art is that nothing is concrete, yet it is beautiful. Also, my artworks are mostly painted in bright and colourful hues which instantly radiate happiness and peace.

You started your brand at a fairly young age. How have you evolved over the years and how has the art scenario in India evolved in these years?

I started my art brand, Soulink by Swati Pasari, in the year 2007 at the age of 20, and held my first exhibition a year later. Through my art and pranic healing, I have evolved as a person, who is content and happy and that is what is reflected in my art as well. People come back to me to buy more of my art as they feel the positivity and happiness in their surroundings with my art being there. Also, over the years, I have seen more and more people appreciating art and buying not just as an investment, but looking for art that adds to the beauty of their place and changes the aura of the place.

What is your vision for Soulink?

I have travelled across the world exhibiting my all so happy artworks and sculptures. I wish to continue doing the same. Also, lately I have been part of many charity exhibitions. I would like to do more of it and contribute towards the happiness of the underprivileged. My vision is to spread happiness through my art. Swati’s collection is available in paintings of sizes 2 feet to 8 feet and sculptures in sizes 2 feet to 6 feet and can be viewed at www.swatipasari.com

Vivek Sonar, one of the finest younger Generation flautists in the country and senior disciple of musical genius Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia shares his journey in music, and more with N. Kalyani

Listening to a flute performance by Vivek Sonar, a long time disciple of the legendary flautist Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, is a mesmerising experience. One feel transported to realms beyond the earthly. The tunes of the music outlive the performance, permeating the heart and soul verily. The music the flute produces is as charming and awe-inspiring as the art and science in the creation of the flute is beautiful and fascinating.

Based in Mumbai, Sonar is also well-known for his Flusion band and the flute symphony. Being from a small town in the interiors of Maharashtra, Sonar was well aware of the challenges young and talented musicians faced in the country. To help such talent get trained and recognised, he set up Gurukul Prathisthan, a charitable trust for dedicated learners who are staying in Gurukul and taking guidance in the traditional Gurukul System of learning music. Today, Gurukul Prathisthan’s music academy has over thousand students enrolled from India and abroad. Here, the composer flautist, who has had a two month-long concert tour in the USA and Canada this year, shares his journey in music, and more.

You were abroad for two months this year giving flute performances in the US and Canada. In general, how would you compare Indian and overseas audiences and their responses?

Music has no barrier of language because it is a heart-to-heart dialogue. In India, audiences generally appreciate immediately with a “Wah Wah!” or by applauding. Sometimes this is what happens abroad too. But more often the audience listens intently, and gives a standing ovation for long after the musician finishes performing. The ways of expressing appreciation may be different, but one thing is the same – the joy and satisfaction after listening to Indian classical music. Of course, one point I should like to mention is that I have never heard any mobile phone ringing in a concert hall during a music performance abroad! This year my concert tour began on July 30, and the last concert was on September 25. I performed jugalbandi concerts with santoor artist Madan Oak as well as solo flute recitals in Houston, Atlantic City, Fremont, Milpitas, Phoenix, Burbank, Redlands, Bakersfield, Dallas, Farmington, and Washington DC in the USA, and at Calgary in Canada. There were also a few interviews I gave to TV channels in both the USA and Canada. All concerts were well received. Appreciation, of course, does give satisfaction. It is noteworthy that in Dallas, close to 1000 tickets were sold, and that was the concert that had the largest audience amongst my concerts held in the USA. It was a jugalbandi with Madan Oak on the santoor, and it also included fusion music.

Have you also collaborated with any foreign musician/band?

In the past I collaborated with a French artist. That was before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. We did a fusion of French mediaeval music, which existed in the period between the 6th century and the 15th century, and Indian classical bansuri music. This form of French mediaeval music disappeared centuries ago; it did not exist between the 15th century and 20th century. A small French group referred to history books and came across these scripts and have revived it in the last few decades. And now they are promoting it globally.

You are one of the seniors most disciples of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. You have had a long association with your guru. Please share with us the one outstanding quality you find in Panditji – as a musician, as a guru, and as a person.

Yes, I have been training with guruji since 1997; it is 25 years now. With regard to his being a musician, I can describe him simply thus: Guruji is “God of Flute”. He is synonymous with the bansuri. He has given an identity to the Indian flute as bansuri to the world. As a guru he has created generations of those who play the flute, and, therefore, lovers of the music of the flute. He teaches us, his students, open-heartedly. I am from a small village named Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district of northern Maharashtra, but I got the opportunity to train with him. He treats me and loves me like his son. He is literally my guru, my father, my guide and my god. As a person he is a legend, but is so humble, loving, caring and polite. He is a great human being; I have never seen such an amazing human being.

Tell us something about your concept of Flusion.

Flusion is my fusion band. It brings together the best-in-class artists of today in a musical ensemble. It is a league of international artists who celebrate their art with great aplomb.

You are a pioneer of the flute symphony. Please tell us about it.

The flute symphony is a novel concept that features more than 100 flautists who perform together on stage. It is a treat for the eyes, ears and soul. It is a unique and copyrighted concept that was created by me in the year 2007, and ever since it has been setting new benchmarks and giving an incredible experience to music lovers. The symphony is similar to a humongous hundred-piece orchestra. It consists of a group of artists on flute in the centre, accompanied by other artists on instruments like the saxophone, guitar, harmonica, keyboard, and drums, besides others. Every year the symphony features a special Indian classical raga-based composition in a format of Western harmony. It has been an endeavour to create each piece notably different from the earlier one – classic yet new, refreshing yet nostalgic. It includes film songs, fusion, and folk numbers.

Your beginnings in the field of music – when did it all start?

Your father had spiritual leanings too, belonging to the varkari sampradaya, a spiritual tradition that includes devotional music and poetry. Yes, my father, the late Ramchandra Sonar,was a vocalist in the varkari sampradaya, which is a Vaishnava religious sect in Maharashtra having 700 years old tradition of spiritual music, and therefore, it was natural to listen to bhakti sangeet (devotional music) at home. He was a vocalist in the bhajan-kirtan genre. I started playing film songs on my own when I was in fifth grade. Since my childhood I was in love with the bansuri. My parents encouraged me to learn the bansuri. My father took me to my first guru, Purushottam Antapurkar, when I was studying in the ninth or tenth grade. Subsequently, with all the support that I got, I reached Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to learn to play the flute from him. For me the bansuri is really a lovable instrument.

You also run the myGurukul app to teach music. Tell us about it.

I used to live in Chalisgaon and used to travel to Mumbai to learn to play the flute from guruji. The return journey from Chalisgaon to Mumbai is approximately 14 hours, and I used to undertake this trip. I was fortunate that I got the chance to learn from the maestro. Now my point was: What about those who do not get the opportunity to learn music from the maestro? In the 25 years that I have been a disciple of my guru, I have learnt many important things. I believe everyone should have the right to learn authentic Indian classical music. As I am techno savvy, I collaborated my learnings with technology, and I created the my Gurukul app, which was launched by my guru on January 26, 2017. The myGurukul app is the world’s first Indian classical instrumental music learning app. To date, more than 3 lakh people in 65-plus countries are getting the benefit of learning the Hindustani flute, Carnatic flute, tabla, violin, and sitar from the myGurukul app.

Even as he feels lonely in the present times of a new normal, acclaimed artist Riyas Komu challenges himself to remain alert and active through his art, says Neelam Gupta

A master storyteller and one of the most influential artists active today, Riyas Komu began life studying literature when he actually wanted to pursue textile design. “My parents wanted me to become a doctor, but for bachelors I had to switch to English literature as I didn’t score enough for science,” says the Mumbai-based artist, curator and educationist, who as a child was obsessed with becoming a footballer. For Komu, who was born in Thrissur, Kerala, art is a medium for social commentary on the situations the world is facing today. The critically acclaimed multi-media artist, whose works depict aesthetically brilliant imagery and a strong personal narrative, believes that internal conflicts and political events offer a chance to reflect upon our own presumptions and values through which we relate to the world at large. “Good art is always true to its political times,” says Komu, who has successfully explored the shared histories and colonial encounters of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives through his Young Subcontinent Project.

“Even though I used to feel very lonely, a feeling I get even now, I have challenged myself to remain alert and active through making art, politically and aesthetically.”

His artistic practice has become known for its narrative dimensions, combining film, photography, sculpture, installations and painting in the service of social and political critique. Most of his artworks are inspired by the social movements and political events of current times, speculating issues like violence, dispute or displacement. In his own words, “As a student, I moved away from textile design and started learning visual art, beyond that the chaos and the human suffering the city (Mumbai) went through after 1992 prompted me to think of art as a site to learn and express secular humanistic beliefs through my expressions and since then has been the basic conceptual framework of my practice.” With memories playing a hugely significant factor in his projects, Komu’s work conjures elements of curiosity. It addresses a sense of identity – aesthetics in which we, as viewers, can compellingly indulge. “The hardships I went through; missing life with my old parents, inspired me to new ideas of making art and new sites of learning,” he says, adding, “My experiences from my travels have contributed in a big way to the making of my art. I gained confidence to do art through my journeys and visits to museums and cultural institutions all across the world,” says the artist, who was always interested in watching television news. “Those early figurative images in my works came from television images and international news,” he informs. “Later, I started focusing on oil paintings and started doing portraits of young migrants into the city. I was always interested in large scale paintings and the single layer treatments that I developed are the key to those works.” Co-founder and Secretary of the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), Komu was one of two artists from India to be selected by curator Robert Storr  for the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and he represented the Iranian Pavilion at Venice Biennale in 2015. In this interview with Art Soul Life, Komu speaks about life, work, his love for textile and how he tries to understand the idea of making through many political and cultural symbolism connected with “weaving” our nation has experienced.

You landed in Mumbai in 1992 to study textile design, but switched to Fine Arts. Any particular reason?

I grew up in a large family among seven brothers and two sisters. My parents gave me an emotionally expensive ticket to Mumbai as I wanted to pursue textile design, a passion I still carry along. As a child my obsession was to become a footballer. When I was in college my parents wanted me to become a doctor but for bachelors, I had to switch to English literature as I didn’t score enough for science. In 1992, while I was doing my BA, my brother Ibrahim insisted that I pursue my passion, upon which I secured admission in JJ School of art and left Kerala. I started enjoying my longest campus life ever by immersing myself in multidisciplinary activities as part of the academics. Parallely, beyond my recognition of it, the city was splitting apart. As you know, 1992 was a crucial year in Indian history in which we saw the emergence of communal politics, hatred, polarisation, giving a big jolt to the democratic fabric of our society. The coming apart of the city marked my life too, as I grew up in Kerala in a plural atmosphere and with political constitutional values. When I started living in Mumbai my experiences of growing up with hard working parents, who believed in the history of social action became an ideal and virtue to hold on to. Easily, Mumbai became my new home in every sense; crowded local trains, aspiring migrants, growing art world, busy people, music and cinema, and the city that never slept started growing in me. As a student, I moved away from textile design and started learning visual art, beyond that the chaos and the human suffering the city went through after 1992 prompted me to think of art as a site to learn and express secular humanistic beliefs through my expressions and since then has been the basic conceptual framework of my practice. That humble beginning in response to the time, a challenging decision, I took in isolation which gave me a new identity to move forward as an artist. But I still maintain my love for textile and keep trying to understand the idea of making through many political and cultural symbolism connected with “weaving” our nation has experienced.

When and how did you get interested in art and art curation?

Believe, interest in curation was part of my evolution as an artist. Initially, I worked on many major projects as an assistant in curating, logistics and administration, which gave me a lot of confidence in working with people on large scale sites. My large studio supported by a team of skilled carpenters, carvers and other technical assistants gave me a sense of ease to work and I developed a great belonging with the community. It was a period I worked like mad and produced many works and did international projects. I feel proud that I could represent the country at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and my participation was an eye opener in understanding the relevance of political art. It also offered me a big opportunity to showcase my work in one of the biggest international projects along with major artists. Curation for me is a site to dissent along with like-minded artists and youngsters. I cherish the co-curating of the first edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale as an act of political and cultural importance in building an ecosystem engaging with history, people and art. My long engagement with the well-researched Young Subcontinent project, which I began conceptualising in 2015, is the best experience I ever had in the act of curation and travel and exhibition making.

Your photographic or hyper realistic style is very popular. What do you have to say?

Painting is one of my practices where I find a sense of reflectiveness, especially at times when it provides me with a feeling of compassion. I think continuous working and practising seeing is the most important thing for an artist to develop their perspectives, skill and aesthetics. My experiences from my travels have contributed in a big way to the making of my art. I gained confidence to do art through my journeys and visits to museums and cultural institutions all across the world. I began to engage with mediatic-realism as I was always interested in watching television news. Those early figurative images in my works came from television images and international news. Later, I started focusing on oil paintings and started doing portraits of young migrants into the city. I was always interested in large scale paintings and the single layer treatments that I developed are the key to those works. As artists when we are working upon the material consciously, it happens that we are simultaneously worked upon by the texture of the materials that takes us to the realm of the past; memories, dreams and all that goes with them. The physical aspect of making art and the presentation of it as a work travel through many layers of time, space and memory.

Some of the major motifs in your work have been migration, displacement and exile. Why theseparticular topics of interest?

As I mentioned earlier my shift to painting was a decision that evolved out of the historical political site and the moment I was in. In fact, if you notice the works I produced since then you will see a gradual process of moving into diverse issues around displacement and exile. My early shows spoke on religion as a site of conflict. The polarising nature of religion was very much the theme of my 2005 solo titled Faith Accompli. The ‘Left Legs’ project with the Iraqi football team was a project on exile, longings and it was deeper research in understanding the resilient nature of humans. In ‘Watching the Other World Spirits from the Garden of Babylon,’ a large installation I showed as part of my solo show in Berlin titled ‘Related List’ is a stark reminder of the war and occupation. The ‘Designated March by a Petro Angel’ is a series I showed at the Venice Biennale that speaks about religious fundamentalism, patriarchy, alienation and sufferings of women in social spaces. I published a tabloid called Brick, which is intended to explore deeper into such sites through photographic research supported by statistics and analysis.

What message do you want to convey with your works that are inspired by social conflicts and political movements?

When organised hatred has upstaged the new normal, art carries the meaning and relevance of its practice. In a time where everything is in chaos, I have kept myself away from mediocrity and wanted my practice as a site to engage in conversations. According to me, when I shared the idea of doing a Biennale with the Education and Cultural minister of Kerala, it was in a way one of the most important political acts I have done so far in my career as an artist. The idea was shared with a receptive political mind and I feel proud.

Artists never work in isolation; their process of work is interspersed by acts of people on the street and elsewhere. In a country like India where the density is so thick that one body cannot be separated from the other, a mere gesture of walking on the streets appears as a collective search for meaning. There has always been a social movement behind art; the secular public sphere created by art with the energy of social movements is a very important gesture towards making art in the sense of a community.

Other than promoting the local artists, what was the idea behind Kochi-Muziris Biennale?

Biennale is a site of dissent, politically and culturally and it should remain one. It was introduced in Kochi with a larger aim of discussing art history, politics, making and thinking and emerging social trends in the world. It did the much-needed cultural acupuncture and the system has benefited immensely out of it. It rejuvenated a much needed ecosystem from all perspectives. The Biennale changed the perception about contemporary art practice among people, empowered young artists, educated the aspirants and connected children with art and its immense emancipatory potential.

Another important aspect worth emphasising is that it gave unimaginable possibilities to local art and increased the confidence among youngsters, which I think is getting noticed more and more. The global perspectives and emerging discourses that the biennale brought to the shores of Kerala created a new art route which celebrated local cultures with radically refreshed memories of arrivals and departures. After all, the art world got a site like Kochi to come together at a place where many communities live together and speak different languages. Most importantly, a project supported by a politically, culturally and socially active state like Kerala is the backbone of the Biennale.

Education via the pathways of art is a very important element of knowing oneself and the community. The idea of having a biennale of our own was a collective search for meaning on the one hand, and working out the secular and political public sphere on the other. We need institutions that look after the passions of many, not the interests of powerful elites.

What is your view on the international art fairs like Venice Biennale and Indian artists’ participation in these fairs?

Biennale are sites of experiments and imagines art practice beyond the confines of galleries and museums. As an artist who participated in Venice Biennale in 2007 curated by Robert Storr, I feel biennales and Triennale’s offer a platform to take our discourses to a community that engages the most with art of the time. It helps in doing survey projects. Biennales are the sites that showcase emerging concerns and present curatorial experiments; it is also an international gathering of scholars, historians, curators, artists, students and art lovers from across the world. A nation which can host a biennale grows in confidence among the world and it will bring opportunities. Indian artists have started getting more opportunities in international projects and they also have started curating many of them at important sites, globally. It is sad to add that we don’t have a pavilion in Venice this year and it shows how divided the art world is and it is definitely not a good sign for the future of Indian art.

What is your take on multimedia art and video installations?

I have gained confidence in making art by probing into all kinds of experimental sites that provide and provoke you with larger possibilities. Art has no limitations but personally feel its language has to work towards its maturity in whatever form it assumes. I work a lot with different materials and it comes as a basic requirement or as a material to engage in conversation with our time. For instance, cinema is one medium that has been using all the possibilities offered by existing and emerging art forms, sounds, textures and technology. In multimedia art projects that incorporate cinema with its full strength and its new age digital attributes have in many ways enhanced the aesthetic and physical and emotional experience of art on many levels. Today, as technology is inseparable from our skins, young artists are at the forefront of these practices. They look at many layers, textures, diversions, pitfalls, spatial coordinates and temporal visions within the cinematic time to explore their own place and self in a community of shifting and altering populations. The other perspective is that the dominant medium of audio-visual method has been co-opted by surveillance and state agencies to limit the movements of the people and people know they are being watched, their spaces are being taken over so much so that they remain visual prisoners without there being a wall. The importance of this medium lies in the transformation of this space of social gaze into a subversive art practice.

What is the future of art considering the fact that NFT is taking off in a big way?

These are outcomes of human innovations especially in the face of an economic crisis, but this revolutionary method demands transparency, accountability and should empower its users. In this case, I hope, it will definitely be much more democratic in its use and application, and for artists it will offer a systemic economic platform as it moves further from site to site. We all know that technologies of communication and transaction will keep emerging with new trends even further.

How will art shape up in a world that is heading towards the metaverse?

I think we should not worry much about the fate of art in a collapsing world. We need to ask the question in reverse; whether we have a future without art, this is one, the other important thing to note is that we should not be thinking that art ceases to exist when everything falls. The reverse is true, the art goes on, into the future when everything falls apart. There cannot be art without a future and the reverse. Art and time are intimately connected. That is why every event in history has been followed by art and to a certain extent it is also true that art practices have created historical and social transformations in the ways of seeing.

By choosing to portray women, Kolkata-based artist Mousumi Pal Majumdar paints characters from mythology and fairy tales without forgetting to include minute details like glittering ornaments, embellished clothing and gorgeous hair in her artwork, says N. Kalyani

In depicting the beauty of the feminine, I have a fondness for portraying ornaments, good clothing, hair styles and motifs on beautiful women. Goddess Durga was the first woman I liked

Mousumi Pal Majumdar, a Kolkata-based artist, has been depicting women and goddesses in a form which is rather heavenly. Born on January 1, 1977, Mousumi was deeply interested in drawing since she was three years old. This interest culminated in seeking admission to Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship, Kolkata, where she completed her BVA in 2002. Mousumi’s artworks focus on women, characters from mythology, epics and fairy tales. But it is the minute details like glittering ornaments, embellished clothing and gorgeous hair that make her paintings seem like they have drifted from a world of fantasy. In an interview with Art Soul Life Magazine, the professional artist reveals what inspires her in creating her artwork.

When did your interest in art take root?

I was three plus years of age when I started drawing. I used to draw on the floor, wall, slate, furniture, and later on the exam question papers too! The media included chalk, pencil, sometimes a broomstick on the courtyard clay surface and water on the dry floor. I also attended classes at a local art school. At the age of six, we moved from North Kolkata to South 24 Parganas, the outskirts of Kolkata in 1982. At the time the place had jungle areas and we got to watch nature. In this new area of residence, I took an interest in books, trees, our courtyard at home, the big fields, chirping birds and the natural surroundings. I also got interested in books and children’s magazines for illustrations. I could relate pictures with the stories, and would also try to draw something similar. Sometimes after reading a story, I would depict some of my favourite situations through drawings. My grandmother’s paintings had a big impact on me. A self-taught artist, she made paintings in watercolours and pencils. Her paintings were a source of inspiration in my childhood. My mother was also good at drawing and embroidery.

When and how did you formally train to be an artist? How did your family react?

I never planned to be an artist. After I completed my graduation, I wanted to pursue interior designing or commercial art. I tried to seek admission in some of the renowned institutions but failed to get admitted. Either the admission to the sessions were closed or I could not pass the admission test as I was totally uninformed about the process of admission. It was heart-breaking for me. Then a family friend advised me to look out for an art college. And I finally got admitted in the Indian College of Art and Draftsman-ship in Dumdum in commercial art stream in 1997. My parents were liberal and gave me full freedom to make my decisions. So, when I decided to get admitted to art college, they were really happy and supportive. I did my bachelors in visual art. In the second year of the programme, I realised that instead of commercial art I was more interested in painting.

Who or what inspired you to make what you have been drawing over the years?

My paintings are a graphical representation of my subconscious mind. They are a reflection of my childhood, teenage and youth. I like historical stories. I have read many historical stories of renowned writers. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay was my favourite writer. The creator of detective Byomkesh Bakshi, he is also famous for great historical novels like Tungabhadra Tire, Tumi Sandhyar Megh as also short stories. These types of stories had an impact on my paintings.

As a child I was fascinated by the characters of the stories which I used to listen to from my grandmother, father and uncle. Subsequently, I started reading story books which I chose by their genre namely, fairy tales, adventure, mythology, and the epics so I could get many woman characters and would usually depict these. In depicting the beauty of the feminine I have a fondness for portraying ornaments, good clothing, hair styles and motifs on beautiful ladies. Goddess Durga was the first woman I liked. I used to watch the idol of the goddess amazed at her gorgeous looks. She seems the embodiment of intense beauty, adorned with ornaments and weapons, with long hair and having the utmost powerful presence. She is considered the creator of the universe and the destroyer of asuras. As a child I used to visit pandals with my father during Durga and Kali puja. After returning home I would make drawings of the idols depicting their ornaments, hair styles, costumes and expressions. My first painting of a woman thus was Devi Durga. And the obsession remains. My paintings depict human psychology, complexity, relationships and emotions, and have a historical flavour. The woman manifests all of this. She is the best medium to portray psychological phenomena. My paintings contain various textures. I love to make textures. Weaving is also a favourite with me. My canvas is the medium of weaving. I weave with colours. I weave stories of human relationships. I also make paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses such as Ganesha, and of course Durga.

What is special about your paintings portraying women? What messages do you try to convey through your paintings?

Mostly focus on the beauty of the woman, and the woman in relationship with nature. The woman as a lover, and sometimes as the seductress. My women are romantic, beautiful, waiting for messages or letters from their lover. I portray them with good makeup and ornaments and clothing of my own design. From childhood I used to design outfits for my sister and me.My paintings depict my subconscious memories. My sorrow, joy, affection, and all kinds of emotions are depicted. Women can heighten a war or spread peace. So my woman is shown, for instance, as the cause of war. In fact, we find women in many epics and stories as the agent of war. It may sometimes be for her beauty, or sexual attraction or out of revenge. We find her as Sita in Ramayana, Draupadi and Sikhandi in Mahabharata, and as Padmini of Chittor, It can be said of a woman that she is many in one. The woman is the carrier of genes. She is the symbol of fertility. She is the symbol of infinity. She epitomises power. She is complete.

What are your preferred/ favourite media?

At present due to my style of painting and the subjects that I portray I prefer acrylics. Earlier oils were my favourite, besides of course other media like pastels, watercolours and ink.

Besides painting do you engage in any other art or craft?

Sewing and tailoring are my hobbies. And I like making junk jewellery.

What kind of artistic activity have the current pandemic times allowed you to engage in?

These pandemic times have adversely impacted artists. The art market has taken a beating. We are not very hopeful of having exhibitions in offline mode. Of course, some galleries and artists are trying the online mode, and are partly successful. I too am trying the online platform.

You and your husband are both artists. How does it influence impact your life and work?

As my husband, Basudeb, and I belong to the same profession, our frequencies match, of course. He is supportive. What is most satisfying is that I am continuing with painting even after marriage, managing the home and family alongside.

Belonging to the marginalised Mallah community, Padma Shri Dulari Devi’s life struggles are hard to imagine by looking at the intricate Madhubani patterns and designs drawn by her using a myriad of hues
TEXT: TEAM ART SOUL LIFE

A beaming face and colourful saree worn the traditional way. She can easily be mistaken for a housewife from the backyards of Bihar but this is the recent Padma Shri award winning Madhubani artist Dulari Devi, who is doing a live demonstration of her art at the Hunar Haat organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. One can guess her popularity by the fact that every visitor wants to be clicked with her and she is humble enough to pose and oblige. This is the recognition of the Mithila artist and the art being acknowledged by all and sundry.

The 50-something Dulari Devi is from the well-known Raanti village in northern Bihar, the seatm of Madhubani art. In fact, Dulari Devi is not the only artist from Raanti, who has been awarded with Padma Shri. Two other artists, 93-year-old Godawari Dutta had received the honour two years back in 2019 while Mahasundari Devi was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011. The latter died in 2013 at the age of 91.

Back to Dulari Devi, someone who started out as a single dalit woman working as menial labourer secretly nurtured the dream of becoming an artist. The ambition took wings ever since she landed with a job at Mahasundari Devi. Married at the age of 13, Dulari left her husband’s home for good when her six-month old daughter also died. She came back to her mother. Her close association with other big artists like Karpoori Devi paved her path to name and fame.

“I would get six rupees per month. We were four sisters and one brother. To run the family, I would do various odd jobs, sometimes in the farm and at times in other houses in the village,” Dulari Devi recalls the ordeal that was an integral part of her life. Later, she went to work with Karpoori Devi, another reputed Mithila artist. “I worked there for 25 years. I would call Karpoori Devi, chachi-dai (aunty mother). She was always very supportive and really did not demean or differentiate between upper and lower caste,” Dulari Devi recounts. Today the artist has scaled a height few can imagine.

But Dulari Devi actually embarked on the journey into the art world when there was a month-long training programme at Mahasundari Devi’s house. Dulari was quick to grasp the opportunity and joined for formal training. “Back home I would take a dry twig and practice drawing on the kaccha floor, only to be rebuked by my mother. She was superstitious about scribbling on the floor. She would scold me that we would turn into beggars if I drew on the floor.”

Although traditionally painted on the walls of homes to mark festivals and other important occasions, Madhubani art has since moved to paper, cloth, canvas and other surfaces. “One day Gauri Mishra of Seva Mithila handed me a piece of silk to work on. Silk is slippery, so I was very scared that I would mess up everything. Then, she gave me cotton cloth to paint. After I was successful in drawing on the handkerchief sized cotton cloth, I was given a saree to paint. And believe me it came out beautiful,” chuckles Dulari Devi. The style originated in northern Bihar and the neighbouring part of Nepal, which falls in the Mithila region, known as the birthplace of Sita. This form of art draws inspiration from the Ramayana, nature, and folklore. Dulari Devi picks up subjects as varied as Ramayan, Kamala puja by her community of Mallahs, Gamaia Puja, Covid pandemic, Beti Bachao and of course, Modi ji. “The sikki ka doli theme I made is housed in Bihar Museum in Patna,” she announces proudly.

A full-time artist now, Dulari Devi gets up at four in the morning and works till she feels drowsy. “If I get up at night and don’t feel sleepy, I pick up my brush. Several times, I sing while I paint. The songs are related to the paintings and are all folk songs. So, when I was here in Delhi to receive Padma, I was extremely happy and excited so I couldn’t sleep. And I did what I always do to calm myself… I just got up and painted day and night,” she reveals.

Proficient in both Kachni and Bharni forms of Mithila art, Dulari Devi enjoys the Bharni form more because of the bright colours. While Kachni involves sketching, Bharni is used to fill the sketches with colours. “I sketch quickly but design and colour are time consuming,” says the artist. “I love mornings and the bright colours that come with it,” an exuberant, optimistic outlook from a woman whose early life was filled with tragedy and desolation. Even when the country was reeling under the impact of Covid-19, Dulari Devi would go to Kharak Kothia, Petia and Pat Ghat to teach Madhubani art in schools. She is happy that children of Saurath area appear for exams to learn Madhubani art.

Madhubani art has evolved with time, says Dulari Devi. While earlier artists like Kapoori Devi used various colours that were derived from bougenvilla, palash flowers, semak leaves, haldi, geru, kajal and chuna, today Dulari Devi herself uses fabric colours to obtain the desired colours and effect.

Last but not the least, she acknowledges hard work and patience are the key elements for an artist to be

successful and in the same breath, Dulari Devi adds, art and tradition need to be saved and nurtured. She shares her humble beginning, “For a long time, Hashigawa from Japan would give me five rupees for 60 pieces, but we enjoyed working.” Today she has matured into one of the top Madhubani artists and takes orders of not only contemporary and traditional folk themes, kohbar designs but Dashavatar or the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu remains her favourite theme.

Dulari Devi seems to be a happy person with whatever she receives in life. However, one remorse she cannot forget is not having a photo with former president Abdul Kalam. A snapshot with Modi ji at Rashtrapati Bhavan has, however, lessened her pain. Looking forever ahead, an optimistic Dulari Devi has plans to travel to Thailand and take Madhubani art to newer heights.

The world of Neel Pawan Baruah’s colours, be it painting on newsprint, fine art work on cigarette and match boxes, or oil painting, has always been expanding right from his early association with the maestro Ram Kinkar Baij to the young artists  today, says Arjun Nirala 
S apphire blue sky…emerald trees and sparkling ruby flowers…this is the world of colours. I try to borrow some colours from the vast palette of nature onto my canvas, but it is not exactly how it works. When there is a blank canvas in front of me, I am a different person, I transform into a medium. That’s how it works…” This is 86-year-old Neel Pawan Baruah, popularly known as ‘Neel Da’. Slowed down by age, Baruah lives in Guwahati and speaks haltingly with long pauses but when you are an avid listener, the story starts unfolding on its own.
The world of his colours, be it painting on newsprint, fine art work on cigarette and match boxes or oil painting, has always been expanding right from his early association with the maestro Ram Kinkar Baij to the young artists today. It would not be an exaggeration to call ‘Neel Da’ the sun of blue sky. The epitome of humility, he does not miss any opportunity to paint whenever he gets the time. In a noholds-barred conversation with the legendary artist on the unexplored aspects of his life, his struggle, his life and his journey of art, Arjun Nirala brings out some special colours.

Did you always want to be an artist?                                                                                                                                                 

No, not at all. I never imagined that I would ever be an artist. It never occurred to me. I was a vagabond and never thought of becoming an artist. I was always very laidback and my family could never imagine I would embark on the journey of art. During the course of my studies, I went to Teok, Meriani, Kamrup, Jorhat and Guwahati but did not stick around. Then a strange incident occurred on Saraswati Puja, which changed the entire course of my life. From there it seemed that an artist settled down in my life. People recognised and I also started feeling that I had an artist in me. It is absolutely true that I love colours and I love nature. I love the paint brush…when I have paint and canvas around me, I am totally immersed in it. There is just me and my imagination.                                                               

What happened on the Saraswati Puja day? When did you take your first step towards the world of colours?

I very well remember the Saraswati Puja in 1959. Saraswati Puja is celebrated with great pomp and gaiety here. The preparations are done several days in advance. The decoration is done with a special type of bamboo called Bhaluka bamboo. On the day of immersion, I was cutting a bamboo used in the decoration with a “dau knife” and a small piece of the knife broke. I tried to carve a figure from that broken piece on that bamboo, which came out as Krishna. People appreciated the carving. My brother and others loved that bamboo art. Everyone said it turned out very well. This will probably be my first work. Perhaps from here the spark of art lit up my life.                                                                     
Neelda’s younger brother, Sunil Pawan, who is present by his side, says, “This is absolutely right. From here we all also came to know that there is a very deep artist in him. His artwork made on bamboo is still engraved in my mind. Dada was studying in class VII or VIII at that time. After this, he persuaded the family to take up art.”

What was your father’s first reaction?                                                                                                                                             

When my father came to know that I wanted to become an artist, the reaction was akin to that of any middle-class parent. He was quite disappointed. My father was a noted poet and was also the headmaster. He wondered what people would say. A headmaster’s son becoming an artist. In any middle-class family, art is not really considered to be a great profession. My father tried to explain things to me but to no avail. Here, Sunil Pawan adds: “It was definitely a very tough job. It was very difficult to convince father and the rest of the family members. But I took up this role and took the responsibility of persuading my father and others. It was quite some work but eventually everyone agreed. He allowed Bhaiya to go to Shantiniketan. It must’ve been 1960. The story of Bhaiya becoming an artist started from here.”  

                                                                                                                                  
Tell us about your childhood and your family?                                                                                                                             

I was born on June 1, 1936, in Bamun Gaon village in Jorhat district, about 270 km from Guwahati. My mother and the rest of the family were highly educated. We were four siblings, I am the second. I have an older sister and a younger sister and brother. Sunil, who is sitting next to him, points towards Pawan Baruah, the youngest brother. Neel adds, “Sunil has always been very kind to me and has played a huge role in my life. He has always stood like a rock. God does not give this kind of brother to everyone. From childhood till today, his support has never been lost. He has supported me in every moment of life. Because of this I have been able to do so much today.                                                                  

Do you miss the village?                                                                                                                                                                    

Today, if the world knows Neel Pawan, then it is because of my village. It is here that the artist’s seed was planted in me. Sitting in the lap of nature, I must have dreamt at some moment, even though I do not remember today. The memory of the village always remains in my mind. I always miss my village, the people, the trails there, the fragrance that was there in the air, I still feel it. There is a sense of belonging in everything there. Everything still pulls me towards the village. I want to go there again and again, but at this age, it is difficult. But the village beckons every moment.                                     

Tell us about your journey to Shantiniketan?                                                                                                                                  

After great efforts, my father agreed to send me off to Shantiniketan. But there was a fear about West Bengal in the mind of my father. He had also lived there before. But on the persuasion of the family and my younger brother, he agreed. That world was a different world to me. Different world, different experience. When I reached there, I was surprised to see the atmosphere. It felt as if I had stepped into the ocean of art. Going to Shantiniketan was a big deal for me. When I reached there, I connected with the country and the world. I got a chance to learn about art and artists. For the first time, I came to know what art really is and who is an artist. It was here that I got a chance to meet Ram Kinkar, Nandlal and Vinod Bihari. This is where it dawned on me that I needed to work harder.                                 

How much hard work is required? How much do you still have to learn?                                                                               

I want to tell you that I was not very good in studies from the beginning. I was an average student. I worked hard here too. I felt very happy to meet Ram Kinkar. The people there helped a lot. I got to meet people from all over the country and the world. A huge circle was formed. Shantiniketan is indeed one of the most prestigious places of art. Studying there or just staying there was a big deal in itself. Even today the name of Shantiniketan is taken with reverence. It was here that I learned the basics of art, which remains with me to this day.

When did you return to Assam from Shantiniketan and what did you do?                                                                              

After finishing my studies, I returned to Assam in 1968. I thought I would serve the arts by staying here. I returned to Guwahati with many dreams. After coming here, I got a job as a lecturer at the Government Art School, Guwahati. I worked here for some time and then in 1969, I resigned. But all this while, I continued to do my work.

 You got the company of great artists like Ram Kinkar and Nandlal. Who are you influenced by or say who influenced your art?                                                                                                                                                               

 It is true that I fell in love with the works of great artists like Ram Kinkar and Nandlal while studying in Kolkata. I got a lot to learn from Ram Kinkar, too. No one has ever received so much love as I have. Apart from this, Benode Behari also got a lot of love. I got a lot to learn from him. During this I got an opportunity to meet artists and painters from across the country and abroad. Got a chance to know where, how art is being worked on or new experiments are being done. But one thing I want to say is that my work is not influenced by anyone. My job is completely different. No artist has done the work I did on the cigarette box. No one has done the work I did on the newspaper. I worked on a matchbox, no one did it. My job is completely different. My work is completely different.                                                   

When did the hardest time come in your life and how did you get over it?                                                                             

This is a very difficult question. It will be difficult to answer this but I will try to answer. I was a vagabond. I can’t stay tied anywhere. But there comes a time in life when you have to accept the reality of certain things. To say that after marriage, it came for some time that my life felt as if life was staggering. To handle life, I drove to the tea canteen. This was also a unique canteen of its kind. Even the CM used to come here to have tea. Hard times come in everyone’s life. Simply, once should face firmly. That time too will pass. No matter what circumstances life goes on, never give up on your real job. always worked. This is my life and identity.                                                                                                                 

Would you like to say something about your life partner?                                                                                                        

Surely why not? My wife Dipali Barthakur was a part of my life. I have always taken different decisions in life. He almost gets lost in the memories of his wife, then takes a long breath and says she was a very nice, very kind hearted person. She was a source of inspiration for me. Her voice was as melodious as her personality. We lived each and every moment of life very well. She was suffering from a major illness. I already knew, but I decided to marry her and we got married on 7th March 1976. She was a popular Assamese singer. In view of her contribution, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri award. It was very uncomfortable for a singer to slowly lose her voice but it happened. And this disease took her away from us in 2018.                                                                                   

Was your decision to come to the judge’s field right?                                                                                                                  

Looking back, it seems that every decision of my life was right. Everyone’s destination is fixed, their paths may be different. Decisions have to be taken to reach the destination. I am very happy. In whose life suffering does not come? It came in my life too. But in the end I am very happy. That’s why I say that my decision was right. The year might have been 1970. There was no desire to leave Shantipur. But inside it seemed that if Assamese art and culture is to be promoted, then the place should also be a little bigger. I wanted to give a new look to Assamese art. The idea was to do some experimentation with modern art, keeping Assamese traditional art at the core. For this I formed the Assam Fine Art and Craft Society in 1971 which persevered to bring forward Assamese traditional art and encouraged experiments. Art lovers started joining and people started coming to see what was happening here.There was talk of art. Big art lovers started arriving here, art lovers like Navkant Baruah, Viren Kumar Bhattacharya, Nilamani Phukan and Sonaram Nath started coming. Slowly, the Judge Field became the talk of the town. Artists found a new place, which today has become a major centre of art. Tell me where there are no problems. It happens everywhere. Little can change the thinking of the people. There is administration, there is politics, everyone thinks in his own way. We got into trouble too. But we did not pay attention to them. We focused on the main work and today Judge Field has become the new centre of the arts.                                                                                                                     

You touched every aspect of art but your fame did not reach outside Assam, why?                                              

(Laughing) Glad to know that you know that I have worked. I worked in many mediums. But a lot of work could not last me for a long time. It got destroyed or let’s say completely destroyed. Some work has survived. Along with this, I had a huge responsibility in my life, which I had adopted, which I accepted. Due to this also I could not go out much in the course of my work.                                                                       

You have no regrets about it?                                                                                                                                                          

No – not at all. I am glad that I have discharged my responsibility in the best possible manner. These would be some of the reasons due to which my fame would not have reached outside Assam. But I am very, very happy with what I did. I have never done it by doing it, it all happened.                                                         

You always used to say that you envision a life apart from traditions. Would you like to say something about that?

Now at this age, he says with a little smile, this question seems meaningless to me. Still, there is a lot hidden in your question. To be honest, I feel today, nothing is more important than family values. The values of our family are so deep that sometimes we cannot get out of it. If we do not agree, then we should not even do it. Adds Sunil Pawan: “It is true that Neel da is a very rebellious person, but he also takes care of the values of our family, education, traditions. That’s why Neel da might not have been able to abandon the traditions.”  

 How do you remember the day the country got independence?                                                                                              

How can I forget that day? I was about 11 years old then. It was around 12 o’clock at night and streets were streaming with people dancing, playing drums and carrying torches. There was an atmosphere of celebration and the whole village was bathed in light. An uncle in our neighbourhood, had a big drum –tied on his back. Another person was playing it loudly. The whole atmosphere became like Diwali. People were very happy, the next day the whole atmosphere had changed. People were distributing sweets.Today our country is free. Our ancestors made a great sacrifice for this freedom. It feels and looks great. The country is progressing. development is taking place. I am also witnessing this, it feels good. I want to congratulate and convey my best wishes to all our country people.

Where do you find art in Assam today?                                                                                                                                           

Everyone can have their own opinion in this regard. But I believe that today the art of Assam has progressed a lot. Forty or fifty years ago, the artist and his art were struggling but now the situation has changed. There was a time when artists here did not have the facilities which were available to the artists outside. It doesn’t mean that our artists have got everything. But we are not going to give up. Other artists like me also worked hard, and today the situation has changed. I definitely agree that this process may be a little slow in this part of the country as compared to the rest of India. Because we still have a lot of facilities here, which are yet to be filled. The central agencies associated with it should give serious thought to this art so that art flourishes. The idea of people about art and artists has started changing. Now both the artist and the people have become alert. The local artists here have started getting recognition outside Assam as well. Artists have now started holding exhibitions outside Assam. The time has changed and the condition for artists has improved. If you work hard and have an artist in you, you don’t have to worry about anything. Thinking about artists is changing. Artists from outside also come to our place. All I want to say is that the exhibitions should continue. That’s what will take it to the top. There was a time when we had to struggle. The plant which we and our friends planted together, it has started flowering, it has started smelling. Today the artist here has started getting attention.Overall, the situation of artists is changing in Assam and throughout Northeast India, with new artists coming forward with brushes and canvases. They are giving recognition to the art of themselves and their respective regions in the country and the world. In the coming times, it will grow faster, I believe.

What message would you like to give to the younger generation?                                                                                          

All I know is that art is for art. I have dedicated my whole life to art. Every drop of my sweat, my blood is dedicated to art. My veil and bed are dedicated to art. Our young generation is very intelligent. I am very impressed with the youth. Let me see with what concentration he is engaged in the work. It’s not just about painting. Today youth is doing exceedingly well in every field. I think there is no need to give any kind of message to them, they just need some guidance. Youth are capable of doing everything else. Because what message can you give to the artist? It is the spirit that emanates from him, finds life on the canvas and is well known to our younger generation. I just want to say that if your heart beats for art, then come on this path. It is not as easy and simple as it looks from outside. Try to understand this. If the colours and the lines give you joy, the canvas and the nature make you dance from within, you will come to this colourful world if your mind is happy. If you have come for the art, then just live for the art. This is the essence of my life, this is my message.

US-based Indian artist Sajal Sarkar says his belief in himself liberates him from fear and insecurity and places him on the road towards search for eternal beauty and truth in life
Text: Team Art Soul Life

We all know how from the Greek urns that John Keats saw in the British Museum emerged one of the most important English poems of the 19th century. For New Jersey-based artist Sajal Sarkar that moment of truth and self-knowledge came while visiting Giacometti’s retrospective at Guggenheim Museum. “Standing in front of a two-inch-high plaster sculpture by Giacometti, I felt tinier than that tiny work,” he says in an email interview with Art Soul Life Magazine. “But at the same time, I felt very lucky to be an artist and a participant in the world of art.” Sarkar says the experience helped transform the content and style of his work from figurative to a certain kind of abstraction. “What had earlier given stability to my life slowly lost its significance. I felt I had started living a new life. I find it amazing,” he says. Sarkar tells us that the joy he feels at the core of his heart at being an artist is difficult to put into words. “I have happily chosen this path of life, knowing full well the challenges of the reality of life as an artist. I am therefore so grateful to both my parents for guiding my way towards this life as an artist,” he says. The 57-year-old artist says he has experienced three completely different stages in his life and at every stage his work faced intense hurdles, which eventually caused an identity crisis in him. “But eventually I grew, struggled and I feel I finally matured as an artist. I realise, however, that whatever situation I have faced in my art career, it has helped me explore new avenues in life,” he says. “I want to take full advantage of the challenges this life offers, to explore fresh creative avenues and produce newer images that extol life. I feel very lucky to be an artist and a participant in the world of art,” he declares. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

You mention that ever since you migrated to the US four years ago, your thought process turned out to be more challenging. You even started questioning yourself. How did the change affect your work?

To explain my present situation, I must go back to the beginning of my art career as it has a deep connection with where I am today. I have experienced three completely different stages in my life. First 30 years of Kolkata life: I was born and brought up in a middle-class joint family. I got training in an academically rich art college. I became an aspiring young painter although I had very little idea about the world of art. The second part lasted 23 years spent as a postgraduate student in printmaking in Baroda. During this period, I got married to a Gujarati girl, became a father of two, felt well settled, and got reasonable recognition as a contemporary painter and printmaker in India. And the third and present stage is the migration to a completely different country and culture, far away from very own native land.

In every stage my work faced intense hurdles which eventually caused an identity crisis in me, but eventually I grew, struggled and, I feel I finally matured as an artist. But I realise that whatever situation I have faced in my art career, it has helped me explore new avenues in life. In any kind of stability, whether achieving a certain kind of academic skill or style, if I feel fully secure and comfortable, I begin to feel a sense of boredom. Suddenly the joy, the thrill and the struggle to reach the desired goal vanishes and I feel deep inside some sort of emptiness and hollowness.

After my BFA in Kolkata, my work was getting noticed by art collectors and I was getting invitations to attend various art workshops. At that time, I had no plan to move somewhere else. I became a full-time practicing artist in Kolkata and spent four years working at Lalit Kala and shared another studio space with a kind-hearted artist friend. But in 1993, my destiny pulled me out of that comfort zone and upon one elder artist friend’s immense insistence I found myself a student in the printmaking department in Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. A completely new life, much different from my life in Kolkata where I had also indulged in political activism. After an initial resistance to the character of the Baroda environment, I started liking it and decided to settle there. The openness in the Baroda art circle provided a lot of new kinds of thinking, helping me to see the world in a broader spectrum, which has affected a lot and my work also passed through various paths to experiment with new ideas both in painting and printmaking. During my stay in Baroda, I made three trips to the US to visit relatives in New York, which also gave me a chance to visit some art galleries and museums. After my first one in 2001, I was invited by AICON Gallery to attend an art workshop in 2006. They also presented a solo show of my work at their Palo Alto, San Francisco, gallery which was very successful. Up to that point I was familiar with the US only as a visitor. But after I moved here with my family on immigration visa to live permanently as a freelance artist, it proved completely different. As an artist from Indian diaspora, with the political, social and cultural baggage, I found it tough to place myself as an artist in such a big world. I had never realised the art world to be so huge and so diverse.
I felt that I was sailing in an ocean in a small boat. Fortunately, immediately after migration in 2016, I got a chance to meet the legendary printmaker Krishna Reddy in his studio residence. He was kind enough to me to give me a tour of his studio and showed some of his works to me. Later, I was also shown my works. It was one of my most valuable experiences in my life. I enjoyed visiting art exhibits at New York’s major museums and galleries. I must mention one experience of self-knowledge I had while visiting Giacometti’s retrospective show at Guggenheim Museum. Standing in front of a two-inch-high plaster sculpture by Giacometti, I felt tinier than that tiny work. But at the same time, I feel very lucky to be an artist and a participant in the world of art. The joy I feel at the core of my heart at being an artist is difficult to put into words. These experiences transformed the content and style of my work from figurative to a certain kind of abstraction. What had earlier given stability to my life slowly lost its significance. I feel I have started living a new life. I find it amazing.

What sort of difficulties did you face in getting accustomed with a new home?

The first and foremost thing which I have suffered as an artist is the lack of studio space, personal or shared. An artist needs a dedicated working space which I don’t have in the US yet. Still, while living with several members of my family in a shared apartment and working in a corner of our bedroom, I have been able to create almost a hundred works. Just the art materials, artworks, portfolios etc. occupy a lot of space. So I am thankful to each member of my family for their kindness to give me that much space to continue my art practice. In India, I had enjoyed the use of relatively large studios, technical assistance, and close artist friends. That past feels unreal now, as does my present life in the US. The new opportunities have come at a certain price.

How has living in New Jersey helped you grow as an artist?

Here in New Jersey I have started part time teaching at the Visual Art Centre, the oldest art centre in the state. In my class are people of all ages who are keen to learn various drawing and painting techniques. I was very surprised to know that one of my students was 93 years old! I also teach art to children in public schools, part time. In addition, I have taken temporary jobs off and on in other non-art areas such as working in a store, even driving for Uber. A completely new chapter of life. Though I have participated in some art shows and have been awarded also, I am still waiting for a major opportunity to exhibit my work in a mainstream gallery in the US. But last year I had a solo show of small works on paper in a public library in New Jersey. That show was curated by the Visual Art Centre of New Jersey. Several artist friends from New York visited my show and I got an elaborate review by the art historian, Dr Sunanda K Sanyal, who is a well-known professor at Lesley University, Boston. I consider that review a real treasure in my art career so far. New York City is just 40 minutes by train or by car from where I live, so I can attend many good shows, openings, seminars etc. I never miss an opportunity to meet artist friends from India when they happen to exhibit in New York. Thus, I’ve met and spent some wonderful time with artist friends like L.N Tallur, Mithu Sen, Arunkumar H G, Sujith S N, to name a few. I was lucky to meet the two great artists named Shobha Broota and Anupam Sud at their solo show in New York. Friendship is extremely important to me and I had a huge number of friends throughout India. Fortunately, now I have come into contact and made new friends here with several artists, including Vijay Kumar and Devraj Dakoji, two New York-based senior printmakers, and also with painter Vinod Dave. I feel blessed to have a friend like Arvind Garg, a photographer once associated with the New York Times. I got a lot of valuable information from them which eventually enriched me regarding the historical part of art & culture and socio-political scenario of the US.

You were associated with various art schools in India, especially with the Painting and Printmaking departments. Do you believe Art education in our country has an outdated model of teaching?

My prolonged association with Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda, especially with the Printmaking Department where as an external jury member for the post-graduate students and several other interactive projects involving the students, gave me the opportunity to understand their views and occasionally I have offered my guidance not as a teacher but as a practicing artist. I believe that some art schools in India are doing very well. The work by students displayed at Baroda’s Faculty of Fine Arts annually in my view can compete with any good university in the world (though admittedly I have only visited a few good art & design schools in the US). I was invited to visit the famous Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) as a guest artist and I was amazed to see the facilities made available to their students. But that is one of the most expensive design schools in America. There are several Indian universities such as Shantiniketan Kalabhavan, Hyderabad University and private institutes like Shiv Nadar University, to name a few, that are doing well because of good faculty members. Jawaharlal Nehru University is also very important for the Art & aesthetics dept. They all have good faculties consisting of mainstream artists or reputed art historians. But most of the art institutes in India suffer from lack of quality teaching staff who rely on very old and orthodox syllabus. The world of art is evolving every day, both in concept and medium, and we must move with the time while preserving our own treasures.

What are the major challenges facing art education in India today?

I think practicing artists and art historians should be hired to teach at our art institutes as these experienced people have that ability to interpret information and knowledge in a way that helps students develop their individual identity. I think it is important to bring visiting faculties who have direct experience of the contemporary art world to come speak to students. But I am not an academician and am unable to offer more advice in this regard.

What’s the difference between art as it is taught in India and the West?

There are different institutes in the US, which are very orthodox in their schooling, and they want to maintain all conventional methods of teaching. Their emphasis on teaching old academic styles of American and English techniques is very realistic. Then there are some famous institutes experimenting with new concepts, equipped with latest material and technology, providing an atmosphere to open all the windows for students. Again, due to my limited knowledge and experience as an academician, I cannot say more on the subject. In India I feel art education is less of a priority compared to design schools.

How do you rate Indian Contemporary artists with their western counterparts?

Since coming to the US, I have visited numerous important art shows, both in museums and in art galleries and I feel that Indian artists have equal capabilities to show their strength at any international level shows. In the last decade or so, the participation of Indian artists has grown manifold in the international arena. Indian sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee had a big solo show at the Metropolitan Museum (Met Breuer) in New York last year, which generated important reviews in publications such as the New York Times. Tallur’ s major solo show ran for eight long months at Ground for Sculpture, New Jersey, attracting a lot of attention. Subodh Gupta’s large installation in the very important Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC was very impressive. Seeing these shows I felt proud to be an Indian.

Did you always want to be an artist? What inspires you and who and what have been your greatest influences?

I don’t know whether I wanted to be an artist or not, but I’ve liked to draw and paint since my childhood days. My parents, who thought that I should get more attention in art, enrolled me in a local art centre and my artistic journey started from there. From the very beginning I won prizes in art contests, which inspired my father to see me as an artist. My father, who was a small businessman in letterpress printing, had to visit graphic or commercial artists to discuss design and logos etc. and he thought it could be a good career for me. One day he got an admission form for me from Govt. College of Art & Craft, Calcutta, and I passed the admission test in the very first attempt. At this point I honestly did not have any particular ambition to be an artist, or in fact to be anything. I just thought it was a golden way to avoid regular studies (I was 17 years old studying science in 11th standard). It was a taste of freedom. I am therefore so grateful to both my parents for guiding my way towards this life as an artist. I believe that having artists like Ganesh Haloi and Badhan Das as teachers was a blessing for any student. I had no idea about the prospect of being an artist, but I wanted to be an illustrator. As a child I had grown up reading stories with a lot of fabulous illustrations in various magazines and I used to copy them a bit. Coincidentally in my final year of BFA, I was hired as a freelance illustrator at Ananda Bazar Patrika. There I met several great writers, including one promising young writer named Sudipto Tewary, who in turn introduced me to the most celebrated painter Bikash Bhattacharya, which was probably a turning point in my life. I showed my work to Bikash babu and got invaluable advice. Immediately after BFA, I started practicing art at Lalit Kala Keya Tala studio. During this period, I came in contact with Somenath Hore, another great artist whose precious comments regarding my work (the depth and significance of which I didn’t understand at that time) have stayed with me to this day. There were a few other older artist friends who were very supportive at the beginning of my art career. I have happily chosen this path of life, knowing full well the challenges of the reality of life as an artist. This belief in myself liberates me from fear and insecurity and places me on the road towards the search for eternal beauty and truth in life. It may sound spiritual, but this is what I am presently experiencing at the age of 57. I have no regrets if my life ends today.

There is something almost painterly about Vipul Kumar’s approach, echoed in his perfectly sculptural objects that run the gamut from lyrically beautiful to arrestingly thought provoking
Text: Team Art Soul Life

For Vipul Kumar, one of India’s most revered artists working in both stone and ceramics, sculpting is the language in which he can communicate his observations of the world. His work is the epitome of the subtle, the understated and the powerful all at once. Though the material itself is important, equally crucial is Kumar’s openness to being led by his own intuition: he allows himself to be guided by what he sees, dreams and feels. “I do not work for any mission. Art is an article of faith for me, it is my life,” he explains. Kumar says injustice in society makes him sad. “I work to protest this injustice. Social circumstances inspire an artist like me. I firmly believe that the insatiable human greed is the reason behind the distortion of nature. These things move me,” he says. “As it is a bit difficult to express these feelings in stones, which is a suitable medium to express the subconscious, I adopted ceramic as clay offered more possibilities allowing me to communicate the totality of my observations. Stone gradually takes a form and transports you to the state of trance. I refine my consciousness through my art.” Kumar says his work is essentially about deconstructing traditional ceramic practices, so he creates really rough, unconventional forms because he’s looking at contemporary reality. “If nature itself is disappearing, what is left of man?” he asks. In his practice, Kumar works spontaneously, allowing form to develop freely, the man-made and the natural intertwining and merging one into the other. Through his work, the artist expresses his concern for environmental damage, but believes in the power of nature to heal. As he says, “It is patient, adaptable, resilient and forgiving.” Blending technical brilliance with artistry, each of his creations is a lyrical expression in art and the result of a highly process driven and personally reflective process. Born in Bihar’s Sitamarhi, which has a centuries-old history of ceramics, 50-yearold Kumar says there was no atmosphere of art in his family. “No one encouraged me to pursue my passion. I can say, with some assurance, that I was born with an artistic propensity. It came naturally to me,” says Kumar, whose passion for pottery stems from his childhood love for drawing. “I was good at drawing and got a lot of praise from my teachers. Since primary school I could sketch from a given object. But at that level, I never thought I would grow up to be an artist.” Though a career decision was difficult for him to make, growing up, he soon realised sculpture was his calling in life. “I was greatly inspired by the idols of Durga,” recalls Kumar, who was living in Varanasi at that time. “Durga Puja used to be a big affair in Varanasi. Apart from the Bengalis, other communities also celebrated the festival with great passion and religious fervour. The place used to be bustling with potters sculpting Durga idols and buyers and I was fascinated by the artisans.” Kumar soon found himself drawn to the art and fully devoted himself to sculpturing. “So you could say my career in the field of art started fromVaranasi, which possesses a strong spiritual and cultural ambience,” he says. Ask him about hindrances in his artistic pursuits and he says economic constraints are the biggest impediment for most artists. “Financial problems made life a living hell. I can’t recollect a moment when I was free from money worries,” he says. “Life was a struggle and continues to be so. Thankfully, I landed a big work order, which eventually helped me set up my studio. Now, at least I had a place to work from.” Kumar says he never cared how the artist in him will survive. “I opted for art and I work. It is simple. I never separated art from my life. Art is integral to my existence,” he says, adding, “I never compromise with my art for any economic benefits.” Kumar, one of the most brilliant ceramic artists in the country today, says he was actually attracted by the mystic charm of the sandstone. “Various art forms in sandstone have originated from Varanasi’s cultural contexts only,” he says. So the artist, who by training is a stone sculptor and has sculpted in black marble as well as pink and white, too, says it was only after getting some dexterity in stone carving that he switched to ceramics. “I adopted a hand-built and pinching process to make the works, which are later fired in gas or wood kilns demanding work at a very high temperature (1250-13500C) to create artifacts,” he says. Kumar says the carving process is to be based on the nature of the stone so that the artefact can be a meaningful medium process and the subject are interrelated. “Any change in any one of the three can bring change in the meaning of the artefact itself, and this needs to be understood,” he says, adding, “The medium and process is chosen on the basis of the spirit of the subject. Sometimes we break our own template, but there too some sort of discipline exists.” Kumar, who received his MFA degree in Sculpture from Banaras Hindu University and trained under famous sculptor Balbir Singh Katt, who was known for his adept use of marble and wood materials on a large scale, says he began with geometrical, rigid forms that found a new visual vocabulary in the ceramic medium. He exploits all those ceramics uniquely offers as in form, colour and texture, exploring the full gamut of glaze possibilities. No wonder his ceramic works have enabled the medium to leap out of its traditional craft and function-based identity to express new perspectives. Maintaining the rigidity of his stone sculptures, he has used the delicacy and richness of clay and porcelain materials to enhance his artistic practice—an experimentation that has preoccupied him for the past ten years. The new medium also doubles up as a platform to voice his concerns about the effects of climate change. It’s a concern that has shaped his life too, having left Delhi to set up a ceramic studio in Bhaislana (which is also the site of black marble mines) near Jaipur, so “he could breathe better”. An artist who is totally in tune with himself and with nature. Kumar says he relies on chemistry, alchemy and an element of hazard and risk, both in porcelain as well as clay. “In my work with porcelain, I am very aware of its sensitive structure, it is very brittle. Clay is solid in a way that an abstract painted form is not. You cannot work with stoneware and porcelain without knowing the challenges of clay,” he informs, adding, “My work is a commentary of human activity on earth and I try to capture the ever-happening change in the environment. I give form to my thought process with the help of glaze and I’m also able to introduce sophistication in my ceramic work. You can actually witness the attributes and compactness of stone easily. I use a melange of minerals, like silica, dolomite, iron, cobalt, wollastonite and zinc amongst others. To get colour I used feldspar, quartz etc.”

Among his notable series is Purush Prakriti, which is uniquely metaphorical in his cry for the preservation of the balance of man and nature with its volcanic eruptions and flowing contoured rocky formations. The conceptual underpinnings of his works display his preoccupation, inspiration and inquiries into relationships between man and nature. The concept of decay and disintegration continued in his series titled ‘Nature’s Signature’ where termites are encrusted on the walls of modern progress while a symbolic human figure looks out as witness to eternal time while experiencing the present. Kumar, who had earlier worked with a mural panel titled Navagraha —the nine (nava) major celestial bodies (Grahas) of Hindu astronomy – using NASA satellite images as an inspiration, says he’s busy working on a series in black stone comprising the Navagraha panel. “It is still under process, but it’s different both in content and form,” he informs.

An early retirement has failed to derail acclaimed artist Bijay Biswaal, whose role model was and still remains the railway platforms that gave him a distinct identity and all the accolades that followed, says Karan Verma

Frankly speaking, my feelings about the railways have a great deal of ambivalence because for me, a rail commute has never been the most comfortable way to travel. Leave aside all that sentimental stuff about travelling to places unknown, serendipity, the sense of anticipation, of the unexpected, one which you hope will be exciting and wonderful. The reality is most compartments, unless you are travelling first-class, are crowded with steaming bodies, people smoking beedis, bad food, roaches, gangs of bullies on board, pickpockets and worst of all, dirty toilets, are so commonplace, part of the humdrum, as to mostly not merit remonstrance with railway authorities. But one man, and he isn’t the Railways Minister, can not only make you forget the sorry state of affairs, but leave you misty-eyed. While to most the chaotic life of arailway station may seem monotonous, but to the 56-year-old Bijay Biswaal, a former ticketexaminer, trains and people define his paintings that bring out the beauty and cultural diversity on railway platforms. His picturesque watercolours reflect various facets of the ever-moving railwaylife, including passengers transporting their luggage, or waiting at the station for the train to arrive. Often, the atmosphere is cloudy or the platforms are soaked in rain. “That’s because my earliest memories of a railway station remain etched in my mind,” he explains. From Mahatma Gandhi approaching a train and Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking on a wet platform to painting a crowded Chennai station showcasing southern Indian filmstar Rajnikanth and a train dropping commuters at Konark temple in Odisha, Biswaal has broken probably all geographical boundaries in portraying how trains in India are not just an important mode of commute, but a way of life and the heartbeat of any city or town. So, even as for millions of people the beauty of railway stations goes unnoticed, Biswaal has captured the moments of passing people in paint, making it a personal statement. The globally acclaimed artist, who has won several competitions and his paintings have been displayed in countries like Russia, Belgium, Turkey and galleries across India, says, “The greatest award, however, was when our Prime Minister mentioned my name in his Mann Ki Baat radio programme on July 26, 2015. That was my Oscar moment. He praised my ability to combine work with passion, a concept that I have preached and practiced for years.” After serving railways for 26 years, Biswaal took early retirement from field job as a chief ticket inspector in 2017. He explains, “I was finding it difficult to cope with the job along with my passion for painting. It was not feasible taking leave off and on for my engagements in and outside the country as I am constantly invited for exhibitions and shows. But I must say that leaving the railways does not mean I have been derailed! My role model was and still remains the railway platforms, which gave me a distinct identity and all the accolades that followed.” Biswaal says his colourful portrayals display the characteristic of the railways that most people take for granted and have no time to absorb. “The fact that I used to see moving trains everyday as a part of the job made me see things beyond and above what a common person sees,” he says. “I have always been very observant and notice how people dress up, the way they sit, talk and gesticulate. So, I incorporate these dynamics elements on my canvas, which I believe, takes my work a notch above. And if through my paintings, I am able to draw people’s attention and familiarise them towards the ordinary, yet beautiful platforms, it is a pleasure.” Biswaal says when he joined Indian Railways in 1990, it did not feature as a theme in his paintings. “I used to paint random stuff, like portraits, landscapes, caricatures, illustrations and cartoons mostly. In fact, at that time I wanted to be a professional cartoonist, like RK Laxman of The Times of India or Ajit Ninan of India Today,” he informs. Biswaal always carried his small painting kit while he was on duty. Work took him to different railway stations across many states – from Nagpur in Maharashtra to Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

This vast landscape was subject to his canvas. He extensively painted at locations, like Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba, Bhatapara, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Gondia and Rourkela, besides Nagpur, Ajni, Itwari. More than the big busy stations, he preferred smaller stations. “The reason was clear – the mad rush of the public was not there. Interaction was less and the lazy idyllic life of smaller stations, like Korba and Bhatapara turned out to be my most iconic subjects. Incidentally, the painting where you see Mr Modi walking on a wet platform is based on Korba station,” he informs. He used to draw a lot of watercolour and pencil drawings at these stations during his off duty hours. “Instead of whiling away my time in restrooms, sleeping or playing cards with colleagues, I used to roam about the station areas hunting for locations to paint,” he says. So how did his colleagues react to his work? “Well, the reaction of my colleagues and seniors was I’d say mildly encouraging, if I put it in words. Sometimes, from some seniors it was a little cynical and discouraging. Some even went to the extent of hedging a bet on me for how long I can remain an artist in this cold, metallic railway environment,” he chuckles. Biswaal recalls how many of them felt it was nothing but a hobby that will die down once I got busy with the kind of demanding job that entailed public interaction. “It was a job that had remote or no connection with anything creative or artistic. So those initial years were a bit depressing, but it did not last long,” he says. “I’m a positive, happy go lucky guy. Depression and sadness did not last long. The best thing I did was I was never away from brush, color and easel. That helped me stay positive.” By the time he started painting the railways (2011 onwards), he had barely established himself as an artist. “My paintings like Odisha Rashoee had gone viral on networking sites. So these train series made the art loving public go hysterical. Instant hit they all were. Not just art loving public, but the common man could relate to my art and railways woke up to my art big time,” he says. The railway twitter handles started sharing his works and people wanted to buy his train paintings. “And I never looked back after the Prime Minister mentioned my name. Once I got the appreciating pat from none other than the honourable PM himself, I suddenly became the blue-eyed boy of Indian Railways,” he remembers. But did he always want to be an artist? “Yes, painting has been an addiction since I was four years old,” he says. Born in 1964 in Pallahara village of Angul district in Odisha, Biswaal recalls scribbling with charcoal shoveled from his mother’s chullah. “I would watch my mother cook with the fire coming out of coals and draw what would come to mind. Soon, the chalks gathered from under the blackboard in my classroom became my prized possessions. And much to my mother’s discomfiture, the walls and floor of our house were my canvas,” he conveys. With time, the tools for sketching changed. Biswaal graduated to colour pencils and then to sketch pens. “This was followed by water colours, which I got to see for the first time at the age of 18, while in college. The summer vacations were the best times as I would get to paint on empty medicine cartons. Since my father ran a medical store, the leftover white cartons were my target. From Bollywood superstars Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan to Hema Malini and Rekha, I made sketches and posters of many iconic figures,”he informs. Strangely, though Biswaal was highly inclined towards art, he did his Masters in Political Science. However, it did not diminish his interest in painting. But as was the want in the family, a government job seemed a necessity for financial security. Thus, in 1990, he joined the railways and turned to his train journeys for inspiration. Biswaal says he never sees painting as a source of income. “The purpose has never been to sell and make money out of a painting. The process of touching the canvas with a coloured brush is nirvana for me,” he says, adding, “Being a railway man explains my subject of choice, but I have painted every subject under the sun.” He works in a wide range of mediums, including watercolour, acrylic, oil paint, pastel, charcoal and paper collage. Deeply influenced by nature, his works bear a strong affinity with it, exhibiting clouds, water, stone and trees that fascinate him no end. “I can paint a perfect watercolour landscape in a matter of minutes. With the advent of acrylic paints my desire to do rich and layered work got fulfilled and I work fast with rapid brush movements,” he says. Biswaal has been highly influenced by painter Raja Ravi Verma and cartoonist RK Laxman. He not only draws still life, but is also apt at cartoons and caricatures. “My personal favourite is ‘Roots’ that I painted in 2006. It depicts an ancient Banyan tree winding its long roots around a human body and symbolises how we should learn to remain true to our roots. I bagged the National Award for it,” he gushes. Talking of budding artists, he says, “Art comes from a creative brain. If you don’t have it in you, no amount of drill, even in the best institution in the world, can make you an accomplished artist.” A self-taught artist himself, Biswaal says, “Guidance from good masters helps minimize mistakes and your growth as an artist speeds up; but if you are passionate about the medium; you can still create miracles by just being self-taught.” He says it’s difficult for him to explain the true bliss he experiences while painting; all I can say that my dedication to art is wholesome.” As for his dreams, he says there are just too many and his to-do list is also very long. “Since I have taken voluntary retirement from railways, I’m free to paint the way I want to. There are so many series in the pipeline. A series on village life in Odisha, a mythological series, a series of paintings where I want to use Odisha folk arts, like Pattachitra and Chita,” he says. “So many dreams to fulfill, but life is so short. I wish to make the best use of this small life. I prefer to dream with my eyes wide open. Wish me good luck!”