HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY AT PALAVA? WHAT’S YOUR FONDEST MEMORY?
Looking back, I believe I was destined to cross paths with Palava. After completing my master’s degree at Mumbai’s Sir J. J. School of Arts, I was selected for Palava’s Art Residency program. As a city resident artist, I had the opportunity to arrange Art Programs for the city’s club houses, as well as conceptualise traditional art activities for festive occasions like Fort Building for Diwali, Live Painting for Palava Tarang, and Creative Art for Palava Sport’s Day. I also opened my art gallery at the Xperia Mall, the city’s fashion hub, after a year at Palava.
I never expected that a one-year residency would turn into a six-year long-term stay! Palava has showered love, support, and encouragement on my family and me. It has made me challenge my limitations and witness new pinnacles of success.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE OCCASION AT PALAVA!
My live performance at Palava Tarang is the one I recall most vividly. Siddharth Mahadevan was performing live, and he called me over to paint while he sang. It was an impromptu act, and while I was nervous about doing this for the first time, the minute I saw the canvas and paints, I knew that my skill and my well-wishers at Palava would boost my morale. I beautifully completed the painting in merely 15 minutes!
HOW HAS LIVING AT PALAVA BEEN FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST AND YOUR FAMILY?
If I were to sum it up in one word, it would be ‘blissful.’ Palava reminds me of my J. J. School of Arts campus, which just adds to my fondness for the city. My family and I are grateful to be able to live in such a lush green environment. It’s a dream come true to wake up to magnificent mountain views and chirping birds, and to spend time with my family in lush green parks, butterfly gardens, and along the waterfronts. I don’t have to look far for artistic inspiration because it’s all around me! We treasure every day spent at Palava as a family.
HAS PALAVA HELPED YOU GROW AS AN ARTIST? CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US MORE?
Palava’s beauty inspires me on a daily basis as an artist. The amphitheater, which overlooks the river and mountains, is my favourite spot in Palava. I could picture a full exhibition series while sitting there for hours. While one can paint on a canvas at any time and in any place, artists love to use their emotions to bring it to life. And in Palava, I can easily express myself on canvas because it has every impetus a creative mind desires.
My most recent and successful painting exhibition took place at Mumbai’s prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery. All of the paintings on display were created in the Palava studio. I shall be eternally grateful to this city for assisting me in realizing my ambition and celebrating art. Thank you very much to the Palava City Management Association for assisting me in hosting my Art Workshops in Xperia Mall and the city’s clubhouses, as well as to everyone who joyfully attends and doesn’t leave without noting the next one’s schedule!
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2022?
Oh, there are so many, but starting an ‘Art Corner’ is at the top of the list! We have strived to establish a strong art culture in Palava over the last 6 years that I have lived there. Palava is a little community with a lot of hidden ability. I’d love to get all of these artists together and give back to the city.
I’d like to see an Art Corner established in each clubhouse to host art exhibitions, entertaining art activities, and critic talks to help people better understand art. In this section, there would be an Art Studio where artists can come and paint.
Once that’s in place, I’d like to organise a ‘Palava Art Festival,’ a national-level art camp, and other events; the list is endless. I’m excited to collaborate with PCMA to carry out these programs and create Palava as an art hub!