The Cause of Creation. What is it for you?

Being an artist is a continuous journey of letting yourself be consumed by creative energy. Thoughts, ideas, questions… there are different forms of this energy that art could use to lead you to itself and off-late I find myself consumed by a quest. My innate curiosity about the origin of creation and my constant search for the beginning of art converge as boundaries between art and myself blur. And, driven by the hope to experience entirely new dimensions of art, I follow the trail of this question – what triggers creation?

Questions about the cause of creation are always a part of my conversations, within myself as well as with my canvas. A sense of wonder sweeps over me when I set out on this path. It becomes imperative for me to give in to the process, for I know that any part of me that I hold onto will block that much of the truth when I look within. I have come to realize that the more that I let go of the external, the more truth my art embodies.

As this art takes shape, I become the cause of it as much as it becomes the cause of a new dimension within me. Beyond methods, tools and the process, each line, layer and stroke of colour on the canvas brings alive unfathomable worlds. And, I gradually become more of a medium for the art to manifest through. The way I see the world, the bits and pieces of my truth appear on the canvas.

This has often made me wonder if the cause of art, comes from the artist’s responsibility to express the unknown that only she can see, to tell the world her vision in all honesty. The artist is also the viewer and from this perspective, art begins when one first experiences it. Perception becomes a point when art begins to live and the perceiver ceases to exist!And, when the viewer sees devoid of any expectations, I believe, art makes its full impact.

On the whole, the pursuit of the cause could look different from different perspectives yet the journey is always beautiful. It instigates amazing questions, elicits magnificent experiences and sometimes just brings the peace of nothingness alive. I take this journey further every time that creation speaks through me and inspires my art. I believe that the beginning of art, might just take us to the beginning of the universe itself and this is a journey that I intend to take you on with my work as well.

So, what have been your experiences of viewing art and engaging with it? What have been the most intriguing questions that it has left you with? I invite you to contemplate.

Thoughts of the Artist ~ written by Shravya Indukuri

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. shadow . light . darkness . infinity . silence . nature . energy . expanse . skies . evenings . emotions . rhythm . movement . inner . glow . gold . colour . form . layers . depth . harmony . texture . tone . pattern . depth . transparency . fluidity . dissolve . repetition . imperfection . energy . balance . space . exploration . listening . thinking . music . meditate . balance . zen . philosophy . art . solitude . connection . music . vibration . waves . water . freshness . flowers . tree . wind . plants . bubbles . rain . Distribution of light . light on water

Mindful Decluttering & the Golden Spiral

There is an undeniable relationship between our inner and outer worlds. Transformations, realizations, growth and entire journeys reflect as much outside us as they do within us. So, this Diwali when I decided to declutter my studio space, it was barely just the physical space that I was organizing. The sorting of my outer world ended up setting in motion a symmetrical shift in my inner world as well and what ensued was a physical, emotional and spiritual re-alignment of sorts that left me lighter with a healthier appetite and space for growth!

In the process of a mindful clean-up, some of the most important subjects of interest at my studio ended up being artwork from my past. As much as it was nostalgia, it also reflected the journey of evolution that I have gone through as an artist, as a person and as a spiritual being. As an artist, the perfection of techniques, usage of tools and the aesthetic appeal remained my focus earlier. Today, I have a more conversational approach with my art. I see myself in a space where my art doesn’t necessarily have to be about something. It can be about nothing. From perfecting lines to breaking them, from following rules to transcending them, from form to abstract, I feel that art has taken its own journey through me and has reached new depths to within me. The abstract expression has become something that speaks to me and something that I speak to in complete honesty.

This is by no means the final destination though, there can be none. The process of learning, art and life itself seems to emulate a golden spiral of evolution where you get closer to the absolute truth of you with each circle. This spiral inextricably links all the aspects of a person’s journey. I see my own personal journey through my art wherein I had validation at the heart of my pursuit earlier, which has evolved into a pursuit of freedom. And, the evolution continues. I am likely to circle back to this very state in the future with new understandings and this continuum is probably the most beautiful aspect of evolution. Interestingly, when I step onto a higher spiritual realm, it not just liberates me but also presents the possibility, through my work, to those who view and behold my art!

On my own physical level, the last month has been a period of going through a detox as symptoms of strain surfaced. Call it co-incidence or natural balance, but this cycle of sorting and decluttering at all levels has done a world of good as I look forward to the start of a new year. It is an integral part of growth and I couldn’t put it in better words than this quote that my dear friend narrated to me:

“When a flower arranger arranges flowers he not only arranges the flowers but also his own mind and mind of the person who looks at the flowers”

So, when did you last do a mindful declutter? What did you learn? I invite you to ponder.

Thoughts of the Artist ~ written by Shravya Indukuri

When Colour led the way and I followed..

As an artist, I have been used to spending a lot of my time with myself and my thoughts and so when the lockdowns began, it did not feel like much of a lifestyle change. However, as some exhibitions got cancelled and uncertainties grew, my process of creation of art slowed down. Organically, a pause came into being and I started spending more and more time watching art documentaries, observing my older paintings and gradually questioning the elements of my work. And, my search gravitated towards colour.

I ended up discovering and rediscovering philosophies of master artists that plunged into the very core of what colour is. Many of these kindled explorative processes within and some quotes left a profound impact on my thoughts. 

I read that colour is a raw material indispensable to life and this moved me. Above all, Prabhakar Kolte’s quote “To understand black, become black” left me pondering deeply. The whole learning experience was powerful and took me back to the basis of questioning who I was and what art meant to me. And, I started to look for answers.

I first actively tried to imbibe these philosophies. How do I become colour? I focussed my energies consciously and thought to myself that I am black, I am black. But, something did not just sit right.  I then went back to colour theory and plunged into research. That did not work either. As I tried to make sense of all this on the canvas, my work did not speak to me. It was then that I decided to let go.

I just let myself be and somewhere in those moments, I became. I was sitting in a corner at my studio with my eyes closed. One day, awake but dreaming, I was listening to a cuckoo singing from a tree and the pitter patter of the rain played with the silence. And, just as I was dissolving into the moment, a picture of myself came to my mind. I was at an airport, looking at the departure chart for hours. I was a rust colour, all my features clearly defined but all rust. As I kept staring at the screen, I suddenly melted into a puddle of that same beautiful rust colour. I saw me in that visualisation and I saw me as colour.

This became the inspiration for my work and I brought out the exact same shade of rust on my canvas with lighter and darker accents showing the effects of light. I see myself spread out on the canvas in a sense. This inquiry about the existence of correlation between myself and colour has changed me as an artist, it has changed my process at a technical and structural level. It has changed me as a person. 

As I went in search of colour, I realised that it had turned into a rigorous inner search for self. This search is as abstract as life itself but leaves me with a profound sense of awareness that when change beckons, there is something very beautiful about shedding your past self and evolving into what you are meant to.  This journey of exploration has been cathartic. It has left me with a new perspective and has shown me the power of sheer intrigue and the liberating freedom of embracing change. I am excited about my upcoming work as I take on a new approach and look forward to what it becomes and invokes!

Thoughts of the Artist ~ written by Shravya Indukuri

Until next time, I leave you with these beautiful lines to mull over - Colours are not always symbolic and do not always carry a message. Colours have their own universal existence. Colours do not represent human concepts and thoughts like words do. Every colour has its own light as well as an identity as a result of the visual perception (this is true in case of sound as well) Red is red first; it Is the human mind based on its limited rational thinking that makes a symbol of something. In fact red does not symbolise anything. It acquires a new form when one observes how it is placed next to a dot yellow in the ensemble of a painting. Trying to force any other meaning on it other that this would simply be wrong. They make us aware of the existence of colours and their qualities that come to light when they are freely used on the canvas. - V. S Gaitonde. 

In search of blue

Mixed Medium on Linen Canvas

Size : 48.75" by 38"