I think all I want to do is express and maybe convey the message that anything is possible. Like how my sketches are usually things that don't exist in real life, they are just a reminder that anything is possible if you want to make it possible. Similarly, my journey as an artist also says the same thing.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
My parents are from Agra but because he has served the Indian Navy I was born in Arakkonam a town near Chennai in 1992. I always used to sketch, I remember even in my first grade I would make little paper planes on the top left of my notebook. I grew up to be an engineer because that was expected from me. I did most of my schooling in Goa and Arakkonam.
Because of health reasons I couldn't give my competitive exams properly and hence joined whichever college would accept me. So in 2010, I was in Symbiosis Institute of Technology to pursue Mechanical Engineering. This is where I learned to paint walls and eventually took it up as a career.
In 2013 when I was interning with a major core mechanical company called Thermax, I realized even though I was good at it I would never take this profession. I took a call to only focus on art and never looked back since then.
2. What inspired you to pursue art?
I was not happy in college, not with courses or anything, I think I was depressed and I just didn't know about it. Art came easy to me and it always gave me a sense of satisfaction and achievement that nothing else did. I started painting by directly painting on huge walls in college and the scale of it impressed me a lot.
I didn't want to do anything else after that. It was like an addiction. I was a very poor kid in college and sometimes art gigs would give me a little bit of money which was a major motivation.
I never wanted to have an upper limit in life, and art is such that it always gives you something more to do. There is no limit to how much you can learn and execute and this factor was the biggest inspiration in my decision to take art as a career.
3. How did your art evolve and how would you describe your art style?
In the beginning, I couldn't rely on skill as I honestly wasn't that skilled. So I always tried to think differently and make a unique design. Though most of my work was influenced by the client's brief, it still tried to leave something of mine behind. Over the years I have found time to paint and sketch for myself. I have discovered that I like to create a world of my own, so I keep experimenting with the reality around me and twisting it in my sketches.
I call this abstract surrealism. I basically try to place myself at the center of the paper and make a sketch that is a structure that I would create if I was allowed to build something without the rules of physics. A lot of engineering drawings that I did in my college time come in handy in executing whatever is there on my mind.
4. What message or impact do you want to create through your artwork?
I do not know if I am influential enough to create any sort of impact through my art. I think all I want to do is express and maybe convey the message that anything is possible. Like how my sketches are usually things that don't exist in real life, they are just a reminder that anything is possible if you want to make it possible. Similarly, my journey as an artist also says the same thing.
I have been a huge fan of Van Gogh. Mostly because of the kind of life he lived. He took part as a job and would wake up and work as labor for a fixed amount of time as if he was on a job.
That persistence made him what he became and today he is the most talked-about artist. I work like that too. I treat art as a job and want to do everything to do justice to my practice. I learned the discipline from Van Gogh.
6. What tips and advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Learn the business of art along with the skill. Practice is a constant and one just cannot give up if they want to pursue art as a career. One has to be very very resilient. Treat it like you would treat any other job. Wake up and make a routine and stay self-disciplined. Keep targets and keep updating them.
7. Which is your favorite book and why?
I don't particularly have a favorite book. Though I am a huge believer in the theories of Louise L hay and whenever I am down I reread all her books to remind myself of the power of the mind and how I can improve my situation. It keeps me determined and healthy in my head.
I am an artist and an art entrepreneur. I have been professionally painting since 2014. I specialize in painting large-scale murals though I also enjoy painting canvas a lot. I am an opportunist and I believe the best thing happening to me at the moment is that I am alive and I must make the most out of it.
Interviewed By - Serene Ingle
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