Chaitrali Bandekar
What media of art do you work in?
My works are mostly acrylics on canvas and mixed media such as texture paste, acrylic inks, sand, salt, and sometimes coffee too!
How would you describe your genre of painting?
Loose abstracts and I also like to paint expressive portraiture.
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 across genres and thus my practice varies as per the genre. For abstracts, my creative process depends on what inspires me and fires my imagination at that moment. That said, at its core, painting is meditative for me and as such I let my intuition guide me when I first start work on any piece and then go with the flow, not knowing what the end result is going to be.
Depending on whether I am in the throes of a series or not I may or may not know the colors I am going to use in it. For portraits, I may have a vision of what I want to deliver in the end result. I usually prepare rough sketches, though I may or may not know the colors I am going to use in it and let my intuition guide me.
What is the message you want people to take away from your artwork?
I want people to feel joyful and peaceful in their space when they see my abstracts. As my works are often inspired by the enduring beauty, resilience and free flowing ebb and flow intrinsic within Nature, I want viewers to draw the life lessons that can be learnt and meditative calmness that can be felt when one with nature. As such, in this fast paced hustle culture, I want my works to be a safe space for viewers to be inspired to self introspect, feel their emotions and reach for the oasis of calm within. As for my portraiture works, I want viewers to feel the essence of the soul, and the delicacies of raw human emotions in them.
100 years from now, how do you want people to remember you as an artist?
Someone who followed their calling as an artist as a means to spread love and light to others and the message that we are all interconnected spiritual beings here on this beautiful planet to have a human experience.
What is your favorite praise you have received from a client or about your work?
One of my favorite praise from a client is that each time they see my work, they feel goosebumps as they experience the calming, loving and healing energy through my artworks.
What are your hobbies outside of Art?
Singing (I learn Hindustani classical vocals), meditation, sculpting, jewellery design, woodworking/upcycling old furniture.
What is an interesting piece of trivia about you that people don’t know?
A few years ago, I used to team up with my mum who loves sewing to design theme based costumes (in the past I have dressed up as some very fabulous characters such a Frida Kahlo, Queen of Hearts and The Mad Hatter in the annual parties of my last workplace in finance field).
Give me one or two sentences about your family?
I live with my husband and daughter in Singapore.
What has been your strongest influence in your art career thus far?
Spiritualism and nature have been, by far, the strongest influences. That both inherently embody living as “One”, interconnected beings is a recurrent narrative in my works.
What is your vision for yourself as an artist 5 years from now?
My vision, as an artist, in the next five years is to continue to learn, explore and produce increasingly stronger works, showcase my works internationally, and to build lasting connections with more people, including, not only collectors, but also fellow artists and art lovers.
Which one is your favorite artwork you have ever done and tell us why?
This is a tough question as I have many. That said, one of my recent works Trust in the Flow-1 is my one of my favorite works.
Recently in Feb 2024, I was in Mumbai to exhibit my paintings in India Art Festival. When the exhibition was just two days away, I decided to paint on a whim and it is then that this painting came into being. When done, I chose to display this piece, among others, at the India Art Festival and this was the first piece to sell on Day One aside from being one of the crowd favorites (between artists and non-artists alike). The reason I love it so, is because it represents placing your trust in the flow and the rest would just follow. I had had just taken a major decision in my personal life and that which had required every bit of trusting in the Universe. Once taken, the decision left me completely feeling free and at peace, finally aligned with my purpose in this life and that has come through beautifully in this piece. I love the ease with which the colors flow in this painting. When I look at it, I feel the serenity amid nature, the flow of streams originating in the mountains into the rivers and then ultimately into the ocean.
Which is one of your most recent works?
The above mentioned is one of my most recent works.