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August 23, 2015
People

They Chose Art ! – VOL -I

August 23, 2015
People

They Chose Art ! – VOL -I

Often people find themselves at deserted crossroads.

There are paths known and there are paths unknown, we all know that. And the decision which people take is what marks the beginning of the new things to come. Some get stuck at the crossroads forever. Some take the known way out. And then there are some who head out ahead into the unknown, listening only to their hearts, only their instincts and feelings, driving and taking them forward. After all, all of us are seeking happiness and satisfaction in whatever it is that we do, aren’t we?

Over the years, the city has been an abode of different forms of art and artists, who have flourished here, found themselves, their art and gave it shapes and took it towards directions.
‘They Chose Art’ is a set of multiple blog posts series, featuring the folks from the city, who have made the world a little more cheerful, colorful, and playful with their art.

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Rohan Nanavati-Roar Studios

He could be your laughing Buddha, and to be honest, even Buddha would be envious of how happy this guy is. To be honest, you’d never find him not smiling.

After coming back to India, from Atlanta, where he pursued his artistic interests academically, Rohan founded Roar Studios in 2009, a creative studio with a focus on branding and digital design, in Surat. Over the years, Roar Studios have churned out works which are spread over different sectors like creating logos, interior designs, branding, graphic design, websites etc.

If you were to ever ask him for some career advice, the first and the foremost thing he’d tell you is, go the a school that teaches you what you want to learn. Satya Vachan.

When and how did it start ?

For me, it started during the last year of Computer Engineering. I was working on the promotional designs for our annual technical convention, and this made me completely rethink my career path. The next whole year, I dabbled into interior design and graphic design, after which I went ahead to pursue my Masters in Graphic Design from SCAD-Atlanta.

What are the things that influence, aspire and inspire you?

Great works of art influence me—design, books, movies, music, etc. People who love and enjoy their work create aspirations in me. They may or may not be in a creative profession. Taking time off to travel and spend with my loved ones inspire me—they act like my brain and heart charger.

What does the artist in you want to do more?

I want to really understand how people perceive design, and make a mark in food and hospitality branding. I also want to spread a new venture called Talks About Design (talksaboutdesign.com), that holds inspiring talks by design practitioners for art & design students. Other than this, I aspire to learn the fine art of painting.

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Rajarshi Smart

Some of them figure it out in due course of time, some of them fail to see it altogether, and then there are a few who are born into it. The latter part of it can be matched aptly with Rajarshi Smart’s case. His father, Jagdeep Smart is arguably one of the finest and proficient painters that the city has seen, and the son is now taking the baton forward, creating new spaces and exploring what more is out there in the realm of fine arts.

Today, apart from being an avid painter/visual artist with works being exhibited all over the country and even abroad and conducting workshops across the country, he’s also a coordinator and a faculty member at Surat School of Fine arts. In free time, he goes back to trying a hand again at drums.

When and how did it start ?

In school I had a thought to go into architecture as my father use to teach architecture students                  and a lot of architects came to my place to learn to draw.  I was very bad with maths subject, and liked drawing and painting.
So my inclination was towards art or literature, and after due research about architecture and fine arts colleges and these fields in general, I happened to visit the fine arts dept at MSU, Baroda, where my dad used to teach. That where my stint with finearts/ visual arts started.

What are the things that influence, aspire and inspire you?

My work is a passage between many realities or to say between possibilities of many realities. What we perceive becomes our reality and what we wish to perceive or actualize is another possible reality; and that which we miss to perceive is altogether a different probability of reality. I like to play upon these probabilities and possibilities in my work. From the events of day to day life to the mediums I choose to work, I like this area of playfulness or mischief.

To speak for the strong presence of human figure in my work, at times it tends to symbolize the class, it may become metaphor of existence or it may look like an episode from continues humorous narration. Along with this the language of popular culture is also a strong influence on my work; esp. the language employed in cinema hoardings.

 What does the artist in you want to do ?

Unlike the earlier engagement with the human figure as central character, I have conceived my present series of works on the life of rickshaw; here the motif of rickshaw takes its place. It is the idea/concept/image/reality of rickshaw upon which I have worked.
About the technical aspects, I have learned to create prints in variety of Medias, but have tried to achieve the painterly qualities in the prints I make. My household surrounding of paints and painted forms have deeper roots in memory and later my training as a student of painting have outgrown into strong painterly sensibilities of both the mediums. It is like exploring the chosen medium of print making with the attitude of painter and to arrive at the point of equilibrium between them.

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Harin Dalal

Indian weddings are grand. The occasion is so celebrated, that no matter how small a single detail is each ritual has a day associated with it. Harin Dalal has been synonymous with the art that putting mehendi is, in the city of Surat.

Before taking up the role of decorating brides’ hands with immensely intricate, beautiful and spectacular mehendi designs, Harin was a full time art teacher at a school in Surat. Then marriage happened to him too, and his beloved better half pushed him towards something, which then he realized, was his calling all this time.

When and how did it start ?

My career as a mehendi artist had started when I was 13. But, it has been given a professional touch by my well-wisher, my backbone- my wife. Till then I was doing it as a hobby and worked as a full time art teacher in one of renowned schools in Surat, Gujarat for 15 years.
My wife changed my view towards mehandi. My mother always motivated me to do it but my wife diverted it towards a proper direction.

What are the things that influence, aspire and inspire you?

Being an artist, I always used to do something creative and innovative from the childhood. Even in my college years, I always tried to do something difficult and different from others. My attitude towards work helps me a lot.
I’ve used many monuments and paintings of famous artists into my mehandi to make it unique from other mehandi artists. I always keep on updating myself and introducing new styles in mehandi.

What does the artist in you want to do  ?

My wish is to give the brides a lifelong memory, and a lot of happiness through my work, says Harin with a broad smile on his face.

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Ashish Shastri

Ashish Shastri’s involvement with music began at the young, ripe age of 10, when he started learning sitar from his father Sharad Shastri, who’s also is a sitar player. This third generation Indian classical musician didn’t take much time to get the hang of it, and in no time he was exploring the music, discovering its beauty, and went about trying new things and achieving and unlocking new standards in it. Today, he’s one of the very few masters of the instrument in the city, also holds a PhD in music and has begun passing on his incredible knowledge to kids, as a teacher.

He has been an approved artist of All India Radio and Television since 1993, and has toured across the country, taking his music to different places, and winning hearts. He also is the recipient of the prestigious ‘Gujarat Gaurav Puraskar’, awarded by the Gujarat government.

When and how did it start?

I started playing sitar at the age of 10 years. My father is a sitarist and that’s where I got it from. He taught me everything that I know about Sitar, and he would spent his valuable time, whole heartdily in teaching me about the music and the beauty of the instrument. Later on, I also learned from Manju Mehta, a sitarist from Ahmedabad, who’s also a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar.

 What are the things that influence, aspire and inspire you?

My father Shri SharadKumar Shastri happens to be my biggest inspiration. Today, whatever level I am at, its solely because of him. Another big influence as far as my music is concerned is Pt Nikhil Banerjee. His style of ‘sitarvadan’ has immensely impressed me and has always touched my heart. I too try to follow his style and consistently learn from it.

What does the artist in you want to do more ?

All that I have learned over the years from people, whatever knowledge that I have about my music and the instrument, I want to pass it on to as many people as possible, because that’s how it is with music.

And I want to travel with my music. Take it to different places, play and learn. The process never stops.

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Mayank Kapadia and Dhruv Kapadia-Echoestics School of Rock Music

Echoestics-The School of Rock music, has single handedly put up more number of concerts in this city, both big and small, than all the others combined, in Surat city, and guitarist Mayank Kapadia and his younger brother Dhruv Kapadia have been agents behind it. Mr. Mayank Kapadia’s journey with music started in childhood, from the age of eight. He has learnt Indian classical music on harmonium and violin and later explored the international music. Formed band “Antriksh” in 1999 with vision of developing band culture in the city of Surat. Dhruv Kapadia has almost the similar story. In 2005 he started ‘Echoestics-The School of Rock Music’ with perspective to drive youth into band culture which was truly missing in city.

A lot of people, especially the younger generation, associated with music today have been at one time or the other, a part of Echoestics. A place, there was music to explore, learn and grow from.

When and how did it start?

We both started at age of say 8 with learning harmonium. Our guru late Mr. Ganpatram Kapadia, and continued for 5 to 6 years and later picked up violin for around 4 years  That made us strong in understand and appreciating Indian classical music  Later I saw a band performing in a basement of apartment and it made me realize the direction that I wanted to in.  So we formed Antariksh in 1999.

What are the things that influence aspire and inspire you ?

I have always been inspired by lot of local artist and people around. And not just musically but in understanding the ways of life too. The thing that kept us focused was hunger for music. Always kept listening and exploring artists and their music. Traveling for concerts meeting up people discussing about guitars and gadgets made our path strong

What does the artist in you want to do ?              

Promote music, that’s all. I am currently associated with many organizations and schools as specialized visiting faculty teaching kids a thing or two about music. So is Dhruv.  The main thing that we want to do is promote upcoming artists and individuals, and push them, strengthen the independent music scene.

And yes, playing good music.

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Ankit Mavchi and Saurabh Desai-50mm Media Productions

One has to admire engineers for their multidisciplinary skills. That is, no matter what branch or with how much pointers one might have passed engineering with, you can totally expect him to do something else altogether with his life.

One of them is one of the most proficient wild life photographers of the state, and the other one just has to look up towards the sky and a frame manifests out of thin air, and it is their admiration and love for photography that has brought them together.

Today ‘50mm Media Productions’ has help create a better creative space in our city in media productions, i.e. photography and film making, where ideas and thought processes are paid heed to and worked upon.

When and how did it start?

“As a child,  I was involved with ‘Nature Club Surat. I enjoyed clicking possibilities of different forms of nature’s most amazing elements in their own environment. And gradually, with certain time frame I understood the values of creating an art piece & extracting imaginary beauty out of some apparent elements of Nature.” Says Saurabh Desai.

“While studying engineering at SVNIT, I was exposed to the whole new world within and outside the campus. Firstly I made friends inside campus who belonged from various parts of India, and the other world was Internet, and boy didn’t I make the best use of internet.” Says Ankit.

What are the things that influence aspire and inspire you?

“The voyage starts from my balcony, ranging from deep semi-deciduas forests, soundless runs & endless grasslands, passing through strident coastal lines & colossal wetlands of this state. The elements of nature wandering through this site, do not belong to any particularity or orderly eco-system. All of this is just absolute pleasure to eyes.”-SD

“People ! They are the most beautiful thing which have and still inspires me. Being streets and people as one of my subject, I lately developed an ability to watch and read people. There’s so much of joy, aspiration and sadness at the same time which you can observe and absorb from people.
And ofcourse the things and patterns around us which tell small-small stories.” -AM

What does the artist in you want to do ?

“I try my level best to capture the beauty beyond general identity of wildlife. This is nor abstract nor fiction; for me it’s just a visual luxury, nothing else. Colors, patterns, intensity, Minimalism, Peace, Flow, Green, Monochrome, are probably I now believe into.”-SD

“Where there an art.. there’s always a bit of clutteredness. So many things available to work up, so many exciting subjects. Hence I would love to narrow down to few finite subjects and work upon them in form of series and end up making a presentation / book on it.
And apart from that I was to exhibit work in different form and in different ways.”-AM.