Art & Artist

Art is about what makes and feels happy. It is an everlasting journey from the moment the thought of making something comes to mind. Physically the art work might be completed but, its journey, and the artist’s journey continues long after that, through the eyes of the beholders. Creative arts have always been of interest to me, almost like I am drawn towards them. Traditions inspire me while art intrigues me and in a desire to explore traditional art forms, I turned towards traditional Tanjore paintings.

Tanjore painting (Tanjavur painting) originated in Southern part of India during the 16th century in Tanjavur. Tanjore paintings, as they are more commonly known now, are panel paintings done on wooden planks, have extensive and delicate relief work or gesso work, with inlay of colorful glass beads, real gold foil work and painted with vivid, rich colors.

The process of making these paintings with its various steps and the care that needs to be taken in each step is what captivates me. Each step well done guides one to the next and enhances the beauty of one’s creation. Intricate details, multistep process, grace and shine of gold; keeps me wanting to do more of these timeless beauties.

Traditional Tanjore paintings have been about Gods and Goddesses. I started with doing reproductions of these divine forms as a method to practice this art form, realized, as an artist I get so much freedom to add designs, forms that appeals to me. The outcome is that even though the deity is same, each art work has a different appeal to it through what expressions the deity is showing, what colors are in the background, how the intricate designs add or change the look of the art piece, etc. After having done a handful of the traditional paintings, I wanted to explore the artist in me, by bringing in the finesse of traditional Tanjore art form into contemporary subjects and inculcate the techniques of Tanjore style painting in my own creations. This got me thinking about different aspects in my life and how to represent them on my canvas. Inspirations to me come from different art forms- traditional, tribal, modern, etc and nature itself.

My journey is currently on the path to explore and express as an artist using Tanjore painting techniques and combining this style with other beautiful art forms in my own way. With vast variety of art forms available, I am excited about this journey of mine and eager to see how each art work unfolds and what stories it brings with it.