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| Bricks, 2012, Enamel and Ink on brick |
A former
banker who found herself inexorably migrating into the world of art,
Chicago-based Indian artist, Tulika Ladsariya focuses her artistic
lens on exploring the dynamics of labor, language, and literacy
through her paintings and sculptures. She describes her paintings as
a social commentary on the division of society through the
iconography of labor, whereas Tulika's installations are derived from
familiar construction materials procured from her surroundings; this
enables her to empathize with the workforce that she depicts and
thus, think of art as labor.
Vibrant,
textured, and punctuated with layers and meanings, Tulika's work
takes the viewer into the landscapes and mindscapes that the laborers
inhabit.
Here
she talks to Her Blueprint about the scope of her creative voyage so
far.What initially attracted you towards art? What compels you to keep on creating?
I started my career working in portfolio management for a multi-national bank. However, I am a very visual person: I see and think in images and color. I enjoy working with my hands, philosophizing and questioning. To that end, a short sabbatical to study art in London turned into a lifelong career.
Many things compel me to create: the love of what I do, the need to make a difference through my art, the fear of obscurity,and the security of what I have renounced to be an artist. It is the desire to give shape to ideas- translating something intangible, like feeling and emotion, into something tangible such as a painting.
Could you take us through a journey of your paintings? How have they evolved in terms of technique and theme? What has remained unchanged?
My work was initially very influenced by what was around me; specifically, Mumbai, which was in a constant state of disrepair. It then began to engage with the people who build and inhabit it. Some elements of my work are more abstract and others very graphic. The theme has been widening with time, encompassing more of what I feel, rather than merely just what I see. My use of color is one aspect of work which has significantly evolved; even though my palette is still bright and evocative, it has become more balanced over time.
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Journey
by Day, 2010, Mixed Media on Gessobord
'Burden of Dreams' and 'Improbable Elevation' depict realistic figures while 'Palliative Endeavors' is rooted in a much more abstract space. What motivated this transition? What is the essence of 'Palliative Endeavors'?
'Palliative Endeavors' [example from series above] was inspired by the vibrant cityscape. It used geometric shapes and collage to bring together form, texture, and color; it regards the city as a space devoid of humans and the impact of congested living upon the environment. The title of the works refer to my own palliative endeavor to fix the damage inflicted on it through the use of plaster tape [as such used in healing fractures] upon the two-dimensional surface. Moving from the physical space to the people who build and inhabit that space seemed like a natural transition. This gave birth to the series, 'Improbable Elevation' and 'Burden of Dreams' [examples below]. Even my more figurative paintings have elements of texture and abstraction that I weave in and out from.
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Graceful
Burden (diptych), Acrylic on board, Mixed media on faux brick panel |
