Shuchi Krishan could you first introduce yourself to our visitors ?
Photo de Shuchi Krishan
My name is Shuchi Krishan. I am an Indian painter. I live and work in Delhi. I am married and have two grown up children. My husband Ankush is a railway engineer who does photography in his free time, my daughter Vidisha a Tax attorney who is also a budding playwrite and a Novelist and my son Manav an engineer with an immense talent for painting.We are a small familly of four self made individuals.
Is it easy for a woman to be an artist in India ? Are there a lot of woman painters in India nowadays?
The artist in her workshop while painting
Yes it is very easy for a woman to be a painter in India. There are many women painters in India today. Like any profession it requires a substantive amount of hard work.
Ci-dessus : Voici une photo de Shuchi Krishan dans son atelier entrain de peindre le tableau "Home".
Above : The artist in her workshop while painting "Home"
What would you say about the Position of Women in India ? Are there a lot of feminist movements in India ? Are they powerful ?
Dhoop Chhaon
The position of Women is very strong in India. India is a feminist country. If a woman says something –she is heard. Women work at par with men and can take up the highest office of our country. Yes there are a lot of feminist movements and they are a powerful lot. But at the same time, we have innumerable dowry deaths and female foeticide which pulls us all a thousand steps backwards from progress.
"Dhoop Chhaon".
Le nom signifie "Ombres et lumière"Le tableau représente l'émancipation de la femme Indienne. On la voit ainsi marcher de l'ombre vers la lumière.
' the name means sunshine and shadows' It represents the emancipation of the Indian woman, as it shows her walking out from the shadows in to the sunlight.
How are considered painters in India ? Are there a lot of museums and galleries to exhibit their work ?
Godhuli
Painters and their art are given a lot of respect and yes there are a lot of National galleries and museums to exhibit their work.
Le nom du tableau ci-contre est Godhuli – le mot sanscrit pour "Crépuscule". Au moment où les bergers rassemblent les vaches pour les ramener chez eux, une femme attend son ‘amour' au millieu des ruines d'un temple. Cette peinture est aussi la couverture de l'anthologie d'Andrea Sirotti's sur les poèmes contemporains Indiens intitulé L' INDIA DELL ‘ANIMA [life of an Indian Poetess].
Godhuli – The Sanskrit word for dusk. The time when the shepherds take the cows back home. A lady waiting for her ‘amour' among the ruins of a temple. The painting is also on the cover of Andrea Sirotti's compilation of contemporary Indian poems titled L' INDIA DELL ‘ANIMA [life of an Indian Poetess].
Is art supported and encouraged by the government ? What is the position of the artist in the Indian society ?
Aangan
Yes indeed, art is supported and encouraged by the government of India. The position of an artist is an extremity. Some artists are so excellent but live in extreme poverty. Whereas some are lucky to have been picked up by the corporate and the media.
Cette toile s'appelle Aangan et fait partie de la collection personnelle du peintre. Le tableau représente sa fille Vidisha qui a posé pour cette peinture sur la terrasse de la maison de Shuchi à Delhi.
This painting is called "Aangan". This a painting from the painter's personal collection. It is a painting of her daughter Vidisha. She posed for it on the terrace of Shuchi's home in Delhi.
How did you start painting and when ? What was the release mechanism of your art ? Did you have a model as a painter ?
Shade of Cardamom
My interest in art developed in my childhood as I grew up seeing the most beautiful paintings by my grandmother Sarla and her guru Mr.S. N. Gupta, Dean of the Mayo School of arts Lahore. They painted in wash in the Bengal school style. Their paintings were excellent and in soft colours. Somehow as a child I always knew that one-day when I will paint as a painter my paintings would be entirely different. They will be realistic, bold, deep and colourful. This early enthusiasm has now become the driving force, which makes me create through painting
Ci-dessus: c'est un de mes derniers tableaux. Je voulais peindre ce tableau depuis 12 ans. Lors de l'un de mes voyages à l'Ile Maurice, j'ai rencontré une dame dont la fille faisait ses études en Inde. Elle me montra cet arbre et voulait juste que je rappelle à sa fille cet arbre à cardamom. Il semble qu'elle a élevé son enfant tout près de cet arbre et qu'elles ont passé de très bons moments à son ombre. Douze après, mon amie Fazria et sa fille Zafira ont posé pour moi pour cette toile quand je vivais en Malaisie.
This is one of my latest paintings. I have been wanting to paint it since 12 years.On one of my trips to Mauritius, I met a lady who's daughter was studying in India. She showed me this tree in her backyard and just wanted me to remind her daughter of this cardamom tree. It seems she had raised her child next to it and it reminded her of her child and the happy time they spent in it's shade. After 12 years my friend Fazria and her daughter Zafira posed for this painting for me when I was living in Malaysia.
Which painters do you consider as your masters ? Which ones do you admire ?
Emerald balcony
I consider Rembrandt, Raphael as masters of oil painting. I greatly admire the works of the German painter Carl Spitzweg especially his painting ‘ The poor poet' painted in 1839
Ce tableau s'appelle "Emerald balcony (balcon vert émeraude). Il se trouve dans une ancienne construction au Rajasthan. Une structure unique, avec l'intérieur de la niche passé à la chaux lui conférant une jolie couleur vert émeraude. Il ya des couches de sable qui s'émiettent et autour de nouvelles structures qui s'élèvent. Ca me fait penser au "temps qui passe."
This painting is called "Emerald balcony". It takes place in an ancient building in Rajasthan - just a sole structure, with an attractive emerald green lime wash in the balcony. A sand strom blowing and new structures coming up around it. It reminded me of 'The Passage of time'
In your opinion what are the characteristics of Indian painting as compared to the European or American ones ?
The caretaker at mehrangarh
There have been painters par excellence in this world. I feel the European and American paintings are more in oils. Indian painting as such has a long history of influence from the numerous invasions over the centuries. There are so many books written on the various styles of painting found in India. Each state has a different style of painting. Besides the contemporary artists who are at par with their European or American colleagues, even today India is producing artists who excel in different traditional styles and techniques of painting.
Ci-dessus : Cette toile représente le gardien d'un magnifique fort en Inde. Le plaisir que ressent cet homme à travailler dans cet endroit et sa sérénité m'ont poussé à vouloir le peindre. Above : "this is a painting of a caretaker of a magnificient fort. The peace and contentment of this man inspired me to paint him."
What do you like to paint about ? Traditional architecture, Indian women, colour, seem to be your favourite subjects of paintings? Why ? What do you want to express through it ?
Pratiksha
I like to paint from my immediate and perceived environment. Living close to Rajasthan in India. I am inspired by the vastness of the desert, It's colour, the architecture and the culture of its people. I love to paints it's palaces, havelis and pillars, which are getting eroded by the passage of time. I also love to paint the human figure especially of the woman, deep in thought. Synthesizing some detail of the architecture in the background.
Yes I love colour and I try and make my paintings as vibrant as I can
La peinture ci-contre s'intitule "Pratiksha". C'est un autoportrait du peintre. "Pratiksha" veut dire "attendre" en hindi. "A cette époque nous dit Shuchi, j'attendais de recevoir quelques bénédictions, bonheurs de ma peinture...C'est pourquoi j'ai appelé ce tableau ainsi.
This painting is entitled "Pratiksha". It is a self portrait.
Pratiksha means 'to wait' in hindi. At that time I was longing for some blessings to come my way for my Art, so I just named it that.
Why do you paint monuments as you do, i.e only details, not the whole architecture ? What do you want to express through it ?
Prayer 1
Somehow I don't feel like painting the whole monument.
I like to paint just some details of the structure. I want to bring forward the small details. Details that tell us more about the stone used. The way it is used and the intricate prevalent designs of that time. My passion for art and architecture takes me to different cultures to see their diverse and rich art forms. As I paint the forgotten temples, churches and homes, I wonder about the young craftsmen who laboured at making these beautiful monuments. My paintings of these ruins are homage to their excellent design concepts and work. Coming across a shrine in Thailand devoted to the martyrs of World War II.I painted my series on ‘Prayer'. These soulful old places forged out of stone and wood, inspire my spirit and I am driven to capture them on canvas
Cette toile fait partie de la série de tableaux du peintre intitulée "prayer" (prière). Cette série est une prière pour les jeunes hommes, certains avaient à peine 17 ans, qui ont perdu la vie lors de la 2nde Guerre Mondiale. Une visite, en Thaïlande, des cimetierres dédiés à ces héros a inspiré l'artiste.
This painting belongs to the "prayer "series. These paintings are a prayer for the young men, some of them just 17 years old, who lost there lives in the ravages of World War II. A visit to the cemeteries of these heroes in Thailand inspired the artist.
But you don’t only paint Indian landscapes, there is a beautiful reproduction of a part of Notre Dame Church for example. How do you select the things to be painted ? Why this part and not another one for example. How do you choose ?
Last Door of Notre Dame
Yes, it's not just the Indian architecture that inspires me. My paintings ‘Always Morning' and ‘ Blessings' were done on churches in Spain. My painting ‘The Last Door of Notre Dame' was a result of my visit to the beautiful church of Notre Dame at Paris. I was greatly impressed with the intricate iron design used to decorate the big doors of this church, it was also the sunlight falling on it at the right moment when I was coming out of the church. Somehow I felt as if God was telling me I am all around.
What draws me to paint one part and not another is the effect of light and shade. I love to paint the sunlight.
Cette peinture a été faite lorsque Shuchi était à Paris. Ce tableau s'appelle "The Last Door of Notre Dame" et représente la porte arrière de la célèbre basilique parisienne. Shuchi a été très impressionnée par les fers forgés et tressés sur les portes de l'église et la lumière du jour frappait l'édifice juste au moment où le peintre franchissait l'entrée.
Do you know French painting ? What do you think about it ?
Home
I feel France has produced great masters like Renoir, Courbet, Degas and Toulouse L'Autrec. These are just to name a few. I admire Degas and Renoir's masterly naturalistic depictions.
Dans cette toile, le peintre a essayé de capturer la sérénité et la paix qu'une femme peut trouver chez elle dans sa maison. Cette paix transcende tous les autres membres de sa famille et contribuent à faire d'eux des personnes équilibrées et des êtres pacifiques et paisibles.
In this painting I have tried to capture the peace a woman can find in her HOME.The peace which transcends to the other members of her family and helps in making them balanced and peaceful human beings.
You are also doing traditional Indian murals of mud and glass for art galleries like in Singapore or residences in India, Malaysia and Austria… What can you say about this kind of work ? How different it is from your actual paintings ?
Purple stone window
Yes I really enjoy designing in this rural art form. I like to bring this art form to today's modern Interiors but to be very frank I love the whole effect of these murals but find working on them a tedious and a boring work. It is basically a craft. Where as working on a canvas is never tedious or boring. It is where I can lose my self.
Ce tableau s'intitule "purple stone window" (la fenêtre en pierre pourpre). La fenêtre d'un temple dont le basalt usé a des reflets pourpre quand le soleil l'éclaire.
A window of a temple in which the Basalt stone is used. This stone shines purple in the sunlight.
Would you say that your painting is typically Indian in the spirit ? Why ?
Steps of Alwar 1
Yes, I can say that my paintings are Indian in the spirit. This is because my spirit is Indian and will always remain so and it reflects in my work.
This painting, "the steps of alwar" is the radiant combination of the artist's talent, displaying its command of space (with lights and shades) and details while painting a room in a monument and the way how a character, not only a sketch or a shadow, can give life and vibrance to it. We identify to her and then we are the one who visit the place.
Ce tableau montre bien les différents aspects du travail de Shuchi car il combine la manière qu'elle a de maîtriser l'espace, avec le jeu des lumières et des ombres, et comment un personnage, une femme ici, peut donner vie et force à ces pierres...On s'identifie à elle et on est dans l'endroit peint.
What are the technical and material characteristics of your way of painting? Could we say your painting is realistic ?
Purple temple-b
To start with, Line and Drawing is very important to my paintings. I paint in the traditional way using the technique of the old masters. I build up colour in transparent layers. Yes you can say my paintings are realistic. Light and shade are also very important for my paintings.
Les tableaux de la série Purple Temple (Temple pourpre) sont inspirés par un vieux temple oublié dans les ruines d'un fort. La pierre de basalt utilisée pour cette construction ont une teinte naturellement pourpre. These paintings are based on an old forgotten temple in the ruins of a fort. The basalt rock used has a natural purple tinge.
What do you think personally about the Indian culture nowadays : music, literature, architecture, cinema ?
Spring
I can say that a lot of good work is being done. Indians are making very good music. Good cinema. Writing good literature and of course making very good and functional architecture. On the cinema front, I can say the Indian movies are loved almost all over the world. Be it in Africa, the Middle East, Russia or even in Singapore and Malaysia. The Hindi film numbers are also very popular with all these different Nationalities.
Ce tableau s'appelle "Spring" (printemps). Une jeune femme ouvre les portes de sa maison tôt le matin. Elle est au printemps de sa vie et est entouré du printemps...
'Spring'
A young woman opening the door of her home early in the morning.She is in the spring of her life and the spring is also all around her.
Regarding the aesthetics what do you think about the Bollywood movies ? Do you feel sometimes that the settings or the colour look like popular paintings ? What can you say about the work of the painters of the Indian film posters ?
Leisure
On the whole the aesthetics are good. I feel the Indians are a happy people and thus the songs and dancing in the movies. No, I don't feel the sets look like popular paintings. I personally do not see the Indian movies. It is very seldom that I watch one.
The painters of the film posters are the most talented lot of painters. They are excellent in the reproductions of faces and figures on the large format. The amount of hard work they do is commendable
Une femme assise par jeu dans une petite porte dérobée, appartenant à la grande porte principale d'un fort du Rajasthan.
A woman sitting at leisure in a small door of the main door of a fort in Rajasthan
Could we say that your painting is spiritual regarding the Indian culture who’s supposed to be ? Could you tell more about this ?
Blessings
Well many people find my paintings spiritual. I think this is because some of the paintings are painted on the spiritual theme. To name a few, the series on Soul, Prayer, Always Morning and Blessings do have a spiritual theme. Besides this I paint on simple peaceful things. The expressions on the human figures that I paint are also peaceful. As I paint mainly on Indian themes, it reflects Indian culture, which again is spiritual.
La peinture ci-dessus s'appelle "Blessings" bénédictions. Shuchi dit "J'ai peint cette toile dans le sud de L'Espagne. Une église éclairée par le soleil dans la très jolie ville de Tolède. C'était comme si Dieu avait béni l'église avec un chaud rayon de soleil".
Above:I painted this in south of Spain. A sunlit church in the beautiful city of Toledo.It was as if God had blessed the church with warm sunlight.
“Oh God, Lead us out of the darkness towards light., it sounds like a pray… As every Indian, is spirituality important for you ? How far ? What is the place of spirituality in your life and does-it influence your art
Soul -c
The sentence ‘Oh God Lead us out of the darkness towards light' is a prayer from the Vedas. Yes spirituality is a part of me and it does influence my art. I don't go to temples or churches to pray in front of Idols. I feel there is one God and I have faith in him and myself.
Cette peinture appartient à la série de tableaux intitulée "Soul" (âme). Dans cette série l'intérieur des monuments représente les limitations, les restrictions que la vie quotidienne impose à l'âme. Les éléments de la nature sont les symboles de la réalisation finale de la paix de l'âme. Dans ce tableau ci, le crochet décrit la vie. Les feuilles représentent les différents âges où l'être humain est susceptible de partir pour son dernier voyage, qui lui permettra d'atteindre la paix. Celle-ci est symbolisée par les paisibles nuages et la mer calme. Ce tableau a récemment été présenté dans le cadre de l'exposition "Esprit Asiatique", une exposition d'art internationale à l'occasion de l'édition 2002 des Jeux Asiatiques de Busan. Le thème de l'exposition était "Nationalité et Tradition". Elle était organisée par l'association coréenne des beaux arts.
The Soul series
The interiors of the monuments portray the bondage and restrictions that every day life inflicts on the soul. The Elements of Nature are symbolic of the soul's final attainment of peace. In this painting, Soul [c] the hook depicts Life. The leaves portray the different ages of a human being at which he departs on his final journey for the attainment of peace –which is symbolized by the peaceful clouds and the calm sea. Painting exhibited at ‘ASIAN SPIRIT' Asia International Art Exhibition in memory of the 2002 Busan Asian Games. Theme of Exhibition: Nationality and Tradition. Exhibition organized by Korean Fine Art Association.
Shuchi, can you tell us what are your projects now ?
My projects are just good quality work. I will never compensate on the quality of my paintings. Whatever I will paint would have been painted with my heart and soul. I have left the rest to God.
this is a painting of Bride."An Indian bride in traditional bridal dress with a backdrop of an old carved wooden door." "Une mariée indienne, dans les vêtements traditionnels, sur arrière-plan de vieille porte en bois sculpté."
How would you like to conclude this interview ?
Lotus
Yes, I am proud to be an Indian. I am proud to be a citizen of my country India, which has given so many martyrs, who have died selflessly on our borders.
I am also grateful to you for appreciating my life's work and taking the time out to get to know me better. Thank You.
Cette peinture, intitulée "Lotus" est très vibrante et a été présentée dans un festival organisé par un magazine d'art américain.
This painting, LOTUS is very vibrant and is coming in the master painter showcase of an american art magazine.
Site internet de Shuchi
Shuchi's official website, http://www.shuchikrishan.com, will give you many more information about the painter. You will find a resume of her exhibitions, a display of her paintings, many links...
You can also write a comment on her guest book or even buy one of her canvas.
Shuchi also gives drawing courses, in Delhi, and you will also find more information about those on the page "classes" of her website.
A direct access to it is available on this webzine, while clicking on the painting "Always morning" located at the right handside of the homepage.
Le site officiel de Shuchi Krishan,http://www.shuchikrishan.com, en anglais, vous en apprendra davantage encore sur l'artiste : son CV, ses tableaux et ses expositions bien sûr ; mais vous pourrez aussi, si vous le souhaitez, inscrire un commentaire dans le livre d'or ou même envisager l'achat d'une de ses toiles.
Shuchi Krishan dispense également des cours, à Delhi, et vous trouverez des informations à ce sujet sur la page "Classes".
Vous pouvez directement accéder au site en cliquant sur la peinture que vous trouverez en bas à droite de la page d'accueil...
You can also write a comment on her guest book or even buy one of her canvas.
Shuchi also gives drawing courses, in Delhi, and you will also find more information about those on the page "classes" of her website.
A direct access to it is available on this webzine, while clicking on the painting "Always morning" located at the right handside of the homepage.
Le site officiel de Shuchi Krishan,http://www.shuchikrishan.com, en anglais, vous en apprendra davantage encore sur l'artiste : son CV, ses tableaux et ses expositions bien sûr ; mais vous pourrez aussi, si vous le souhaitez, inscrire un commentaire dans le livre d'or ou même envisager l'achat d'une de ses toiles.
Shuchi Krishan dispense également des cours, à Delhi, et vous trouverez des informations à ce sujet sur la page "Classes".
Vous pouvez directement accéder au site en cliquant sur la peinture que vous trouverez en bas à droite de la page d'accueil...
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