Wind, Earth, Sky

As a child, I was fascinated by hills, rocks and streams. I grew up chasing butterflies, marvelling at tiny ladybirds, being fascinated by fireflies that would somehow manage to enter my mosquito net on the days we slept outdoors. I doodled and sketched so much, that all my books were covered in drawings.

I went on to formalise my love for drawing by joining the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai. Here is where I would discover the joy of playing with paint, colour and clay. I was fascinated by the fact that I could form wonderful shapes by throwing, twisting and turning clay with my own hands. I explored this medium for a while and then went on to pursuing drawing and painting.

Living in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta, where there are so many people, I began to paint figures and portraits. I would constantly observe expressions and features of people in relation to one another. I realised that there is a constant rhythm and cycle in our lives and relationships just like in nature.

I went back to living in remote areas, where I could be more in touch with nature, and I started painting birds and horses. Not quite satisfied with my equine sketches, I learnt to ride—and so began my love affair with horses. Sometimes I would imagine myself galloping on the Ooty Downs, where I learnt to ride. The feeling of freedom and abandon spurring me on to be one with the wind, earth and sky—the oneness with these elements leading me to understand the larger context of the horse’s spirit, along with my own, in the universe. This experience is my inspiration, and it is what I want to share through my paintings.