About Me

”Art, for me, is the bridge that connects me to the mystical, the wondrous; While, an artist is the bridge that connects the mystical to the world through art”

Where I come from…

I have been around in the world since 1972 (b. Delhi) and my artistic inclination started coming forth by the time I was 4. Having been born in a family of artists, musicians, poets and gurus, I would take interest in all kinds of art forms, picking up various musical instruments at my family-run music institute, Saraswati Music College, listening to poetry, dabbling my hands at drawing and painting…

I loved to doodle and draw and I especially remember, it was a drawing of a cow which I did at 5, which got me an over-whelming attention from my family and their friends. My grandmother would proudly show it off to every visitor thereafter, which was highly encouraging for the child that I was. Since then, I would draw and paint everything (and on everything) I could; observe its form, wondering how light behaved, how I could achieve a certain hue or shade, experimenting with different mediums and materials.

My Journey

I grew up learning arts mostly on my own, or by way of osmosis, given my immediate environment, with a little guidance from some artist or the other, who would value my penchant for the same. For me, it has been instinctive to understand the nuances of any art form. I participated in various competitions, received awards as well as encouraging words of appreciation at young age, that kept me always enthused towards arts.

Later on, though I was academically driven towards computers and started my career as a graphic designer, I finally decided to take formal training in fine arts and joined Delhi College of Arts at the age of 25. While doing so, I realised the value of formal elements and techniques, and also the need to remain unbound by an institutional learning, letting my free-spirited approach take over to pursue art on my own.

Stippled Woodland
Rotring Pen & Ink on Paper : 1998

“At many instances, while painting, I have gotten so attached to my artwork that I could not bear the thought of parting with it, even arguing to myself if art should be made for commercial purposes. At many other times, I have gifted my paintings to some near and dear ones, knowing how much they loved them or got inspired”

Since my love for arts also extended to writing poetry and short stories, making music and songs, (and has now encompassed ‘cooking’ as well) it led me to assimilate these various aptitudes unto cinema, veering me towards the film industry in Mumbai. I learnt various aspects of film-making under some able directors and producers like Subhash Ghai and Late Mukul Anand.

• 

• 

• 

Gallery Art Sastra, New Delhi,
Established in 2007

Life came full circle and I designed and crafted a state-of-the-art art gallery called Art Sastra in Delhi after carefully studying and researching lighting and display design, to promulgate other artists as a patron. I collect art and curate shows of both the upcoming talent as well as renowned artists, such as Himmat Shah, Manish Pushkale, Jayshree Chakravarty to name a few. I organise art camps, teach art, host poetry and music baithak, dance and film events, providing platform to promote arts and artists of all kinds.

Where I am going…

While working with artists through this platform, I find myself in a privileged position to also pursue my creative endeavours by way of writing poetry, doing photography, crafts, drawing and painting etc. in my own personal space. The acknowledgment from art-lovers has kept pouring in, and I started working on putting my works out in the public sphere so that more people can find resonance with them. Hence, last year, in 2019, I did the first exhibition of my paintings, along with three more artists. The collection was well received and has boosted my enthusiasm further to put together more shows in the future.

• 

• 

Mauj-e-Junoon : a Group Exhibition at IHC, Delhi : 2019

In the meanwhile, I have created this online platform, to showcase my works from time to time, which will also be available for sale. Thanks for showing interest in my work and I shall be delighted if you wish to leave your comments or get in touch with me.

“There is not a single entity that does not imbibe art;
For the Universe came into existence as an artistic expression of the Creator”

And My Art…

My art is essentially inspired by nature and touches upon matters related even to the human nature and its interaction with the outer, including other life forms. I am highly fascinated by the play of light and shade, that stimulates me to work with tonal element, limiting my palette in terms of colors/hues. Texture is another element that makes me work with different techniques for application.

Being a poet, a lot of my work does take on poetic flavours where I like to work with realistic subject and play it around towards abstraction. I find not just freedom, but also heightened capacity of expression in doing so.

Though I like the versatility of Oil paints as a medium, yet I am seduced by the charisma and challenge that lies in Watercolors. I have also experimented with various other tools, materials and mediums to achieve spontaneity and vibrancy.

“With art as my vehicle, the journey continues… that of learning, exploring and expanding.“