BANKABLE ARTIST
A banker by the day, Asha Radhika moonlights as an artist specialising in egg tempera — a rare medium of art
As a child, Aasha Radhika’s father made her utilise her free time making greeting cards for friends and family. Since then, Aasha has come a long way. Today, she is one of the very few artists from Hyderabad who practises in the egg tempera medium (that consists of coloured pigments mixed with a glutinous material such as an egg yolk).
“My childhood was filled with hobby-sketching where I would make nearly 120 greeting cards each year. Sometimes, I would visit JNAFAU and look at the artists working there. When I was a child, I was serious about becoming a civil servant but couldn’t pursue it due to my father’s sudden illness, so I opted for the banking industry,” says Aasha, who adds that over the years she was inspired by the works of artists like Sajid Bin Amar, A. Rajeswara Rao and K. Srinivasa Chari.
The egg tempera technique adopted by Srinivasa Chari was transparent and earthy. Since there was nothing synthetic about it, and it had a very wide scope in the art world, she decided to take it up.
But, managing the two roles — that of a banker and an artist — has not been easy. “My father wanted me to be independent — he wanted me to work so that I could buy my own colours and establish myself as an artist. I remember a time when I did a show abroad and had to literally make and sell small sketches while I was in queue, waiting to buy a ticket for a play. I sold all my works and spent all the money touring the place,” she says.
As a banker, Aasha, who is inspired by the works and lives of Vincent Van Gogh, Amrita Sher-Gil, Mary Cassatt, Giotto, Cimabue and Modiglianihas has the satisfaction of serving people in the rural areas. On the weekends, she spends time working on the canvas and Aasha feels that Hyderabad is an “inclusive city”.
“I have stayed here for most of my life. While other cities are more receptive to art, Hyderabad too has some serious collectors. Acquiring art for investment may be good, but it is more important to like the art to acquire it. There is immense satisfaction with art as it grows onto you and your life,” says Aasha. — The writer is a musician, creator of ‘Jaywant Guitar’ and a freelance photographer