A D A Y I N T H E L I F E O F . . . ‘ We are all creators’
How do you typically start your workday? I sit in my studio and look at my previous day’s work, let it sink in. Since I am always alone with my painting, it becomes a meditative process, helped by my working style, which is to sit cross- legged in front of the canvas. My mind becomes calm and free from the clutter. It is a complete experience and, at some point, it doesn’t matter where I am: in Paris, Dubai or India...
Describe your work in a sentence. My work starts i n my mind long before I pick up the brush; then when it physically begins, I let my subconscious take over the process and leave my creativity to inspiration.
How do you think art inspires life? And life inspires art? Life and art go together and it has always been like that. The earliest r ecords of organised human activity are associated with complex cave paintings. Art is all a r ound us. There i s a r t i n everything. We are all creators.
What is your # 1 personal principle or success mantra while at work? I wish to remain sincere and authentic in my artistic work — as in all aspects of my life. These values are ingrained in me.
Do you have a catchphrase you like to use to inspire people around you? For us humans, there is n o s u c h t h i n g a s absolute perfection — just the endless pursuit of it.
In your workday, what is the one thing you cannot do without? A word of encouragement or even a critical comment from my husband, Rune. I might not agree — I might even not like it — but I know his sincerity, which I value. What has your most challenging project to date been? If I have to select one single project, it has to be my Ganapati project. The size of the project was daunting: compiling 30 years of drawings, collages, paintings and sculptures into a coherent body of work was a big task. It took more than three years to complete. I also had to keep this project purely artistic: my aim was t o f o c us o n t he f o r m associated with Ganapati using my artistic vocabulary, not the multiple meanings and beliefs millions of Indians associate with this form.
Who’s your role model as the perfect professional? I have had mentors to whom I owe a great deal but I don’t follow anyone. I try to pick the best qualities of my mentors, knowing that nobody is perfect and has never been.
Your favourite indulgence when you need a break from work? Whenever I get a chance I escape to the sea, mountains, woods or the sand dunes. I love being in direct contact with nature.
What is the last thing you usually do before you go to sleep? I have a chat with Helena, my daughter, who studies in New York and get an update on her life. Then, my husband and I try to sum up the day.
What is your greatest dream, professionally? I wish for my creative urge to continue allowing me to keep taking up new challenges — then come what must come. We do not control our destiny, but maybe we can add a small twist to it?
— Staff reporter