Aparna Chakravarty
What media of art do you work in?
Primarily painting. But I also create Ceramic works and I am well versed in Crochet.
How would you describe your genre of painting?
I am a multi disciplinary artist and I work with multiple genres. My work encompasses both Figurative and Abstract art.
Can you describe your creative process? When you begin a painting, do you have an idea of what the end result is? Do you prepare sketches first? Do you know the colors you are going to use?
I work with multiple genres and my art practice changes according to the genre of artwork.
For figurative works, I follow the traditional process wherein I sketch and draw first. My abstract artworks have so far been a mix of Orphism, Cubism, and spontaneous interplay of colours and textures. When I work with Orphism and cubism, I draw and conceptualise the composition first, before applying colours and detailing.
With the more spontaneous works, I paint with colours that I connect with on a particular day. I go by what i feel. I experiment with gesso, crackle paste to create textures before I put in the colours. I like to observe how they look together when they run into each other. I usually don’t decide the colours and their placements in the painting in advance and let my feelings guide in choosing the them.
What is the message you want people to take away from your artwork?
I want to bring joy into peoples’ lives and home. When someone looks at my painting, I want them to feel a sense of joy, peace and calm. Life can be harsh and mundane at times. I hope to sprinkle that magic dust that takes away the drudgery of everyday life.
100 years from now, how do you want people to remember you as an artist?
I usually don’t think that far ahead. But whether it’s in the near future or 100 years from now, I would like to be remembered as someone who brought happiness through her art.
What is your favorite praise you have received from a client or about your work?
A collector told me that she couldn't stop thinking about a certain painting of mine that she saw exhibited, even after she went back home.
What are your hobbies outside of Art?
I love music and I sing. I like ceramics and dabble in pottery at times. I love crocheting. It is a meditative practice for me. I like going on long walks along the beach and I love cycling.
What is an interesting piece of trivia about you that people don’t know?
That I sing while I paint. And that i used to write poetry many moons ago.
Give me one or two sentences about your family?
I am a mom of 2 kids, one canine and one human. My canine child will be 12yrs old this year and the human child would be 10yrs old. They are our everything and are everything to each other!
What has been your strongest influence in your art career thus far?
Nature is one of the strongest influences in my art and life. Apart from that, there are so many wonderful artists as influences! I studied art, so all the masters who we studied in art school, are my inspirations. A.Ramachandran, S.H.Raza, M.F.Hussain, Amrita Shergill, Anjolie Ela Menon, Gustav Klimt, Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock come to mind. Recently in my Western Abstract course at NAFA, we studied works of Mark Bradford. His works have left an indelible mark on my mind. Every artist that I follow on instagram, has been an influence in some way or the other. My artist friends who I admire, are an influence too.
What is your vision for yourself as an artist 5 years from now?
I want to explore more, learn more and in that process, I hope to establish my art practice and be visible to a larger audience within Singapore and Internationally. I dream of creating artworks on huge canvases and have my own studio space to work on them.
Which one is your favorite artwork you have ever done and tell us why?
Frida. This is one of my favourite works of mine. Its a bright mix of colours, Orphism and geometric shapes. It is also my take on Frida Kahlo's self portraits. It was bought by a lady who saw it at an exhibition and couldn't stop thinking about it after she went back home!
Which is one of your most recent work?
This is Quietude 2, part of a collection of paintings that I am working on. I wanted to create something that would bring a sense of calm and harmony to the person looking at it. The colours that I have chosen for this painting, predominantly shades of Turquoise Blue, Aqua Green and White bring forth this feeling of calmness.