Painting Hope Through Charcoal

Rupesh Patric is an artist whose media of choice is charcoal. Dubai Lime had the chance to talk with Rupesh about his artworks, inspirations, motivations and his life as an artist.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Where do I begin? Let's see. I was born in a beautiful city called Cochin in South India. I knew from a very early age that art was going to be a strong influence in my life. I wanted to study Fine Arts but had to give in to my parent’s wish and joined an engineering college. I did keep the art alive even during those 4 years of engineering, contributing immensely to the college magazines and also the Arts Committee. I was recruited on campus in the final year and that landed me on my first job as a Software Engineer.

Six years later, here I am, a Technology Consultant in Microsoft. Lately my art has started to define who I am - I never thought I would be able to dedicate so much time for art, being in the Software Industry. Generally happy, looking for the good things in life, I try to enjoy every moment of it.

How long have you been sketching?

For about as long as I can remember. I was a quiet kid, and spent most of my time indoors reading, writing, drawing, and working on other creative "projects" as my mother called them, who often joked that I could amuse myself with just about anything. I've always been "making something". Art has always been a passion of mine. I knew from a very early age that art was going to be a strong influence in my life and that I wanted to know as much about art as I could possibly learn. I never went to any formal art classes though. I still strive to learn something new every day.

How would you describe your work?

Black, dark, expressive, gothic, melancholic, aesthetic nudity, sometimes a little irreverent, and usually not too concerned with the rules of art making or too serious in execution or content. Life is full of rules and serious enough for me as it is.

Are you a self taught artists or did you go to school?

Most of my artistic development has been the result of self-directed study of art books, magazines, websites and various workshops.

What is your media of choice?

My favorite is charcoal and sometimes graphite. Charcoal gives me room to express my thoughts and elaborate my subject matters and style. I also experiment with poster-paint and fabric-paint, but only black.

What are your motivations for creating?

Although most of the time I create for myself, but the embrace from viewers is the greatest motivation. Also, curiosity and excitement of discovery. I like to experiment. I categorized my work by the subject matter, seldom the style, because, I tend to go beyond the limitation of a specific style. My work reveals contradiction, which is my favorite way of sketching, from very fluid charcoal shading techniques to textural sketching with graphite. Besides that, the female body, the world around us and things happening in and around my life, influence and dominate the topic and subject of my work.

I love to tell stories. I create characters who tell stories. At the same time, I try to give these artifacts a sense of purpose as well as a renewed sense of belonging and hopefully, beauty. Aesthetically, I enjoy the beings that are created in the process (which is good because I have to live with them), but it all becomes meaningful when I deliver a story that I'm moved to tell.

When people show appreciation for my work, I somehow feel that they are appreciating the real me, or at least something closer to my soul. It is true, that as an artist, I naturally desire and even crave recognition. I have never really felt comfortable with personal compliments or lavish praise, especially in a public setting. But on the other hand, if someone heaps praise upon my work, the focus is more comfortably on my work and not directly on me. And I appreciate the thought that my art is hanging on walls of people who may glance at it daily and smile! Creating art sharpens my eye and makes me look at the world through a new lens. I do believe art transforms people, their environments and communities. So I believe I am participating in the world to add a little extra beauty and perhaps encourage others to think with my art.

What do you find visually stimulating right now?

Almost everything; I try to observe and enjoy everything, rejecting nothing. There's always a scenario waiting to be portrayed around here. In my art there is always an element of sorrow or hope. Some people have attempted to interpret this as an unwillingness to deal with more contented issues, but there are plenty of artists that do that in their works. I have seen some of the worst aspects of the human condition in the lives of people around me and it left me with the belief that all of us have the right to be happy, no matter what ills we have suffered. Without hope there is nothing.

How do you know when a piece you're working on is done?

I've found that there is no such thing as a finished piece, there is always something that I want to tweak. In general a good rule of thumb is if I feel a piece will look overworked/too fussy/messy/to self-indulgent, then its about time I stopped. Also, once I signed my work, I make it a point not to add anything more to it.

What other artists or movements inform your work/aesthetics/sensibilities?

Almost all art has some effect on me so it must affect my work at some level; it’s the essence of creating that inspires me most. Over the years, I’ve learned to look deeper into art and the message of the artist and enjoy just about anything created. Major influential artists in particular include: Medieval and Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Modern Surrealists such as Salvador Dali. I am also a fan of many contemporary fantasy artists such as Larry Elmore and Mark Ryden.

What, besides your art, brings you creative fulfillment?

I love music. Almost all genres with a soft corner for rock, alternative and jazz. I must mention here that I love Indian classical music and Instrumental pieces - saxophone, sitar, piano.

Tell me about some upcoming projects.

I’ve just begun perhaps my most exciting series yet. It is called “Artistic-Nudes”. I have a deep respect and love for women, and I hope to convey in my sketches a measure of the beauty that exists in all women. Let me quote Michelangelo here: “What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful that the garment with which it is clothed?" I will also be restarting the series “Gods, Goddesses and Myths” that I had started in 2005.

Any tips for aspiring sketching artists from your experiences?

Experiment! There are no rules on how a sketch has to look or how it is made. It's probably a good idea to learn and develop a strong foundation of skills to work from. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

What would you like other artists and collectors to know about you and/or your work?

Just that I am happy to be considered an "artist" at all. I think I always thought that to be a real artist, one's work had to look a certain way, following in the path of the realists perhaps. What I'm just now starting to realize and celebrate is that my art is my art, for better or worse. It looks like my art, which is why I think I never quite accepted it, something I am still working on. What I'm learning is that like a fingerprint or a snowflake, each artists' work is unique, and that is how it is supposed to be! It may not fit into the current "market" of what sells and what doesn't, but rather than try to moderate, or adjust, or change it to conform to that, I'm finding a lot of happiness and personal sense of accomplishment accepting mine as it is and letting it grow in its own unique way. I think being exposed to so many great artists, and finding so many wonderful collectors interested in supporting my work, has really helped me with this. (Thank you all! )I hope that the passion I have for art and the passion I have to tell stories through my sketches is reflected in my work.

Have you participated in any exhibitions before? Or have done your own exhibit?

Work exhibited in many mixed exhibitions in various galleries since 2006, from featuring in first exhibition in Cochin, to selling out two charity exhibitions at Srishti Art Gallery in 2007, and with an exciting schedule for 2008.

For more information:

ONLINE PRESENCE: http://roadhouseblues99.blogspot.com
(Also on ebay, deviantart, dubailime, facebook, orkut)

Rupesh Artworks:

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