Q&A WITH ANJOLIE ELA MENON
Anjolie Ela Menon, artist, on her life at the easel, and away from it
Q: Tell us about a day at your Nizamuddin studio in Delhi? A: It’s a two-bedroom apartment inside an urban village... a space where people from different eras co-exist. From morning till
2 pm I am at the studio, after which I go for lunch. At around 5 pm, I am back in front of the easel.
Q: What about when you aren’t painting? A: I really enjoy cooking. I am writing a gastronomic travelogue nowadays. There is always a book that I am reading. I write and also work at my NGO that is into educating unprivileged children.
Q: What is your favourite medium to paint in? A: It’s always a pleasure to challenge myself with different mediums of expression, however, no matter what, I always return to oils on a hard surface such as wood or masonite.
Q: You won a scholarship to study at the Ecole National des Beaux Art (1959-1961). How did France treat you? A: The summers were simply amazing, Travelling across Europe on a shoestring budget, observing Romanseque churches, sharing studio space with the now acclaimed Francisco Toledo. The hard work was worth it.