Priya Dutt has a new feather in her cap. Inspired by Sri Lankan artist Senaka Senanayake, she is showcasing her art as part of The Colour Collective Exhibit on April 10 and 11 at IFBE at Ballard Estate, Fort, in Mumbai. In an interview with The Free Press Journal, she speaks about her journey and what drew her to art.
Not a newly minted artist, Priya reveals that she started painting quite a while back. "I started learning online first. I'm not a born artist at all," she candidly admits. "Growing up, I couldn't pick up a pencil and draw a straight line. But when I lost the elections, I had so much time and wanted to learn something new. So, I started to dabble with art. I used to look at YouTube videos and learn from there."
Initially, for Priya, it was just about sketching and colour pencil drawing, but with time, her art began to take shape. "That was the time when I realised that I wasn't that bad at painting," she jokes. "I knew I could learn more. I used to do a lot of floral drawings with coloured pencils. Of course, those were much smaller."
She loved colour pencils as a medium because it's extremely meditative.
"Then I wanted to learn with oil paints and joined a class. I was very overwhelmed with oils and wasn't sure if I could be able to do it. I had done a bit of acrylic but wanted to start off with oil paints. That's when I started learning," she shares.
The paintings that Priya has done for the exhibition are Senaka paintings but more of the study kind. "Like studying the Great Master," she explains. "I really love his paintings and have done 5-6 kinds of his paintings. A lot of work goes into it because you got to get the luminosity and the depth right. Several layers go into creating one painting."
Priya's art journey was a steep learning curve for her, and while doing the paintings, she realised that her work was hidden from the public glare.
"Not just me, all of us at The Colour Collective Exhibit are very nervous. Our friends and families knew of our paintings. Some of our paintings were put up in our homes as well. But we felt an exhibition was a great way of showcasing our work to the world and getting reactions from people. It just gives one more encouragement to say that we could do more and create more of our own vision," she says.
This is the first time Priya will be showcasing her work at an exhibition, but one look at her paintings and it's hard not to be left impressed. Priya's paintings bear close resemblance to Senaka's paintings, especially the play of colour. "That's the whole idea," she quips. "When you do a study of the work of the great masters, your painting has to be as close as possible. You will never get it right because Senaka uses his own pigments and the colours are very different. But we need to understand how to create those colours with what we have here and still get the same vibrancy. These are some of the challenges. For me, this is the first step. Let's see what happens from here. Probably, I get more inspired to do my own thing. I'll take this as the base for myself."
Art is an expression of what Priya wants to see in the world. "Nature and beauty are things that one can look at and get lost in. For me, that is what art depicts. Everybody has their own thing. Some people pick up art because they are collectors. Some people pick it up because they want something beautiful in their homes. Art needs to resonate with people."
"I feel art is extremely therapeutic and meditative. It kind of stills my mind. Sometimes, I spend hours painting and I don't know how time flies. Somedays, I'd sit in the class and not know where those three hours went."
"I remember in school, I was so terrible at drawing that my sister would finish it for me. I used to ask her to do the drawings for me, because I just couldn't do them," says Priya. Art was not just a beautiful journey of rediscovering herself but also understanding that she could paint. "In all my life, I never thought that I could draw or paint. I was in my 40s, and that's when I said let's try something new and I got into it."
"In life, you try so many things. You do it for a while and you move on. But art stayed on for 12 years with me and that says a lot," she adds.
Priya tries to paint on a daily basis. "Whenever I get the time, I practice my sketching a little bit or try some watercolors or acrylics. I try to keep myself going. If I start a new painting, it takes a while to complete it because oil paintings take time, especially this kind of method, where you're layering. Otherwise, if I want to seriously take it as a career option, I can paint all day and do nothing else. But that doesn't happen with me, so I give it time when I can."
Her collection is titled Stillness In Bloom and the inspiration behind it was the sense of calm her paintings gave her. "Once it was all complete, I sat down to think what or how it made me feel. For me, it was the beauty and stillness. That was what resonated with me."
The Colour Collective is a group of women, who just like Priya, came into the place to really express and find themselves, and give their inner talent an expression. "Our mentor Shabnam held our hands and guided us through this whole process. She's been the pillar for all of us. At The Colour Collective, we made great friendships. It became a group that was not just about painting. It was so much more and that's what makes it so special."
A certain amount of the proceeds from The Colour Collective Exhibit goes into the Nargis Dutt Foundation, to support their work in cancer healthcare and education for those in need.
"Initially, it was all talk in the air about what we wanted to do at The Colour Collective. Finally, everything came together, and when we became really serious about it, everyone wanted to give a little bit of the proceeds to a good cause and they did it with the Nargis Dutt Foundation," explains Priya.
The Colour Collective Exhibit
When: April 10 and 11| Timings: 11 am to 10 pm
Where: IFBE, 10-12, Calicut Rd, Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai
