Pens and the striking blue ink have always been used for doodles, finding home at the back of books and nestled in tight margins. That’s how it all started for Bengaluru-based artist Ashu Gupta too, only now, her doodles are intricate circles that find space on towering canvases, echoing the Circle of Life.
After being shortlisted for the prestigious Lalit Kala Academy Award and participating at the popular India Art Festival in Mumbai last year, 2017 is already looking up for her. She speaks to us about her solo exhibit that opened last week and is on till February 4 in the city, as she lets us in to her ‘circle’.
Like any other child, Ashu says she grew up with colouring books. “At the time, they were my best friends and tools of expression. My interest gradually grew as my understanding of colours matured and I experimented with various art forms and mediums – including sketches and rangolis,” says the 31-year-old. After taking an interior design course from NIFD in Raipur and participating at several group shows, today, she presents her solo exhibit at the Sublime Galleria. “It’s called The Circle of Life and it represents multiple philosophies. It is all related to nature, the emotions and feelings of humans,” she tells us about her work that draws inspiration from something that we would believe, is worlds apart – like trees and eyes for instance. “Trees for me are an integral and beautiful part of nature. Similar to our eyes, each tree is unique and different in its own way,” she says, drawing comparison. Ask her why she zeroed in on ‘pen and ink’ as a medium, “It’s an intricate form of expression which allows different interpretations. That’s perhaps why I feel most inspired by it because we are all entitled to our own perceptions without there having to be any ‘black or white’,” she adds.
Although she started out her career with a show at Chitra Kala Parishath, allowing it to grow into group shows at Narayana Netralaya, the Art Mantram and recently the India Art Festival in Mumbai, Ashu is a first generation artist. “I’m the only one who took up art professionally in my family, thanks to their encouragement. My mother was good at art but didn’t pursue it professionally,” she says. Her other pillar of strength, she adds, is renowned Bengaluru artist and her mentor MG Doddamani. “2017 is an important year for me. Having worked across different media and having played with different styles, I have found the right medium and style and now hope to create an identity for myself,” she smiles.
