ARTIST SPEAK

Four artists reveal what inspires them, why they paint birds and the thoughts that lie behind their creative process.

Conversation with four talented bird artists who believe in conservation

NIN TANEJA

Nin Taneja, a Delhi based artist and coordinator for Nature Forever Society in Nasik works for the conservation of sparrows. Taking bird photos and making short movies on them, she takes inspiration from birds, who are the main subject of her artworks. She paints in oils, acrylics and watercolours. Observing their behaviour, helping preserve their habitat, her love for these beautiful birds is noticed in her everyday life. Birds to her share a special bond and symbolise the beauty of her spiritual growth. The artist is currently in the process of putting together all her birds photographs taken over a period of last five years on paper. Her latest collection is Birds of Delhi and Hill Birds in watercolours. The birds that she paints are out of a connection to nature and its quietness. They stir her soul, motivating her to rise above our earthly concerns and learn more about a greater world beyond our Earth: the spiritual realm.

SANGEETHA KADUR

Birds portray an exquisite charm of their own believes Sangeetha, an acclaimed artist. She ponders over their colourful feathers, their unique forms and features and their playful inquisitive behaviour that has long captured her attention. This fascination for birds transformed Sangeetha into an avid birdwatcher and gradually shaped her career as a wildlife artist. One of her ambitious projects on birds, was to illustrate the smallest, most agile, finely gorgeted, iridescent flying jewels of the Americas - the Hummingbirds, for an internationally acclaimed coffee table book, in collaboration with Gorgas Science Foundation, USA. As an artist and a naturalist, capturing a captivating glimpse from nature and bringing it upclose to the eyes of the viewer, carries a sense of responsibility Sangeetha feels. She adds that the intensity of focus required to first imitate and then recreate something with her lines and strokes is constantly challenging and yet immensely gratifying. If through her art, she can truly create a spark of wonder, a curiosity and an admiration that connects the two worlds, that of the illustrated and the existing, then, it indeed seems all worthwhile.

SMITA KAUSHIK

Smita graduated with a degree in painting in 2015, and joined an IT firm as a visual designer. She says that a regular pay cheque meant that she could paint for herself, and that’s how she started depicting only nature in her work. Her first major art project was with renowned artist Sangeetha Kadur. And painting the walls of a nature center on the computer from miles away, she realised the potential of painting digitally. Smita felt more confident about her work and herself, and this was just the start of many more wildlife-related projects. Coincidentally, most of them were related to birds. And today, after many art projects that are yet to see the light of the day, and some projects that were very successful, Smita feels that there is so much more to learn in this field. She is on the lookout for opportunities in India and abroad that will help her realize her potential and help her spread her wings in a splash of colour.

RUPA SAMARIA

A bird call is what has always inspired Rupa, the artist. She says that it is her attempt to give voice to the birds’ silent call for help, through a selection of thought-provoking art. On World Sparrow Day, March 2020, she decided to bring to life some of these beautiful creatures. She says that she urges everyone, especially the youth who are the future, to re-discover this world inhabited not by humans but by birds and thus ensure that we protect and save these unique and precious creatures. She pins her hope on the youth of today to educate others, be conscious of our responsibilities towards the environment and to fight for the survival of these lovely beings who are slowly disappearing. And if we don’t take steps now they will surely become extinct! Our world without birds would be like an artist’s canvas without colours. A world silenced, without the sounds of their heavenly notes.