I am a self-taught artist born in India, the land, its spices, its colours and vibrancy of life, all evident in the way I paint, without fear or boundaries; as I am always saying, ‘you can’t paint well until you’ve ruined a few canvases, and I’ve ruined a few.’
 
I decided very early as an artist that I would mainly paint with oils, as I considered them the most vibrant and challenging of the mediums. If there was something I was going to try to master first, it would be the oils.

The paintings usually weave around a story, something deeper inside my soul, something dying to get out, and ‘something that will have a dialogue with your mind at the same time your eyes are having one with the layers.’

I consider art to be a very personal journey, an emotive one, where the dialogue cannot be infused into the soul of another, but where the observer is moved internally by a physical image, a shift in perspective by the interaction, akin to having the right seasoning in food, before the flavour can think of rising from the bland to the sublime.

My other canvas is my writing. In ‘The Changeling Saga’ I am exploring the whole cosmos, universe, death, afterlife all wrapped up in a fantasy thriller. Book III was coming along until it got hijacked by time and a book for adults called ‘Donkey’, a story of an Indian boy whose parents want to marry him off to a fabulously wealthy girl whose only activity seems to be eating. Naturally he has other ideas. You can find more details about these books and future developments on my author page.

Inspiration for both my art and my writing comes from just about any source as long as the subject has resonance for me. I am driven by some inner turmoil or goal, or perhaps a childhood memory of my severe asthma that at one stage would not let me get out of bed. Now that I am over it, it reminds me how good it is to be breathing, to have a heartbeat, a pulse, a life.

My art can be found in numerous places in the UK with the occasional works in Europe. There is a permanent display of my works at the Spice Lounge, an Indian restaurant in Oxford, where every alcove features one of my paintings, trying to enrich the experience of the diners with the warmth of the colours surrounding them.

Of late I became part of a group of Oxfordshire writer-artists, the LiterArties, all published authors and exhibiting artists who not only like to share their works of art and their books but also their enthusiasm and skills by offering a wide range of workshops and talks. Our vision of Capturing our Creativity encompasses our aim to encourage others to access their creativity too. For more information please refer to our exciting diary on the LiterArties website.

My future as an artist seems to be only partly in my hands, the rest ‘is a combination of right place, right time and a smidgen of luck, something that we all need.’

Thank you for visiting,
Kamal.