Artist Sailesh Sanghvi believes in mounting the essence of India on a colossal scale and has developed a unique technique of visual representation. By Siddharth Choudhary
At a time of digital excess and graphic innovation, painter Sailesh Sanghvi has gone back to the drawing board to present a 3D panoramic view of our cityscapes, traditions and culture on a 2D acryclic canvas.
Inspired by his sojourns to Vatican City and having spent considerable hours at the museum there, he has revived the traditional collage to mount his impressions on a large scale. The dual series, The Dances of India and Elan, capture the minutest gestures of our performance arts and the dense richness of everyday India. The dance series draws attention because not only does it depict our classical forms but posits them with vibrant folk forms like the bhangra and the mujra.
What Sanghvi esentially does is paint a huge canvas. Then he peoples that canvas with his individual paintings of human life and symbolisms of culture, overlaying them on the master canvas, giving an embossed effect. The mosaic effect comes from embedding one detail on top of the other, giving a telescopic visual feel. “It takes me about six months to finish a piece of work. I have to be very careful as once you start overlaying the next layer, you cannot go back to the previous one,” he explained.
Sanghvi’s paintings are visually appealing with bright colours amalgamating to form a grand canvas. Sanghvi began as a businessman. “Initially it was difficult for me to get into the art circle as the critic structure is very rigid, especially in countries like the US. But once I got hold of it, I was rewarded greatly as one of my paintings became the highest selling painting at an auction gala in the US,” Sanghvi said. “The biggest challenge that my paintings have to face is cataloguing. Since I do collages, it becomes very difficult to transfer my 3D work into a 2D medium since its essence gets lost in the process.”
The paitings offer a simple yet grand structure to the naked eye. “An artist is always required to think differently to make his work stand out. But one has to also keep in mind the audience you are catering to. I did not want a select few to enjoy it but wanted the masses to enjoy them. My message is about India’s uniqueness in the global arena,” he told us.
“Art in India is only for affluence. It cannot progress until it is made available to the larger masses. However, the scenario has improved since there are many art festivals and galas that are being organised internationally,” the artist said.
Sanghvi feels that the arts need more endorsement and support from the government. “It is very important for our government to understand the value of our existing and evolving traditions. We need to develop an art hub and ensure payable returns rather than organising a show free or at a subsidised cost. Only then will an artist be inspired to work harder. In India, an artist only works because of his deep passion for the art but has very minimal support,” he added.
Despite such hardships, Sanghvi is hopeful about the future, “The structure as a whole is improving with art gaining much popularity. Students have started to take it up as a subject and we have carved a niche in the global art market.”