Rajkumari Sharma Tankha
A small incident in his childhood left an indelible mark on the young mind of Suraj Kumar Kashi – it also set him on the path of becoming an artist. “I was in class five at the government school in Jamui, Bihar. The Hindi teacher who used to take our art classes as well once liked a small sketch made by me so much that he asked the entire class to copy it,” he says. The young boy was thrilled to core with this appreciation, and decided to become an artist after “growing up”. The other two who impacted him were his father Kashinath Prasad and his guru Tripurari Singh, the former a good craftsperson and the later an ace artist. “Still, when I told my father that I want to pursue art education, he didn’t like it. Not his fault though, for he had no knowledge about art, and was worried about how I will earn for my living “painting hoarding”,” smiles Kashi.
But a determined Kashi went ahead with his dream. He first did his Bachelors in Fine arts from Patna Art College and then moved to Delhi for his PG from Delhi College of Art. Later, he worked at an advertising agency but unable to devote enough time to his art, quit job and plunged full time into art.
For him, art and money both are equally important. Citing the example of the book Genhu Or Gulab by famous author Rambriksha Benipuri, he says, “Which one is more important of these two – genhu or gulab? Both, I would say – if Genhu nourishes the body, Gulab satiates the soul.”
Soon after Kashi moved to Noida – he has his residence and studio in Sector 74 . “I chose to live in Noida as it is close to Delhi. I believe the creative environment and accessibility to important museums, art galleries and artists’ studio play a great role in the growth of an artist,” he says adding that living in Noida fulfils that very purpose.
Just free from his online show by The Curator Art Gallery, he is already busy preparing for two solo shows – one of his installation and new media works, and another of paintings. One of his installation artworks comprises 51 Rudrakshas, each bead almost the size football. This work is the outcome of homesickness he felt when the pandemic hit last year. “It’s a life size work, more than 15 feet long made using Rudraksha beads with LED lights thread. Rudraksha is also known as a blueberry seed or stone fruits, and these beads are used by people of most religions while praying. Fifty one is an auspicious number which has various meanings with regard to Indian mythology, numerolgy, planetary effects etc,” he says. “These beads are seeds of spiritual significance, divine consciousness and harbinger of devotion. Rudraksha is representative of universal energy present in the Cosmos, which connects all life forms and keeps the cycle of creation going. My work is a take on this ever-flowing energy that ushers exuberance, life and harmony to one’s existence,” inform the artist, who is creating more such installations for his upcoming show.
Kashi’s paintings are based on an amalgamation of folk tales and contemporary traditions. Through his art works, he reveals the contemporary issues of society which appeal to emotions as well as intellect. “I grew up listening to mythological stories from my mother. At heart I am still very young, like a little boy, always wanting to hear more stories,” he says. “For art and fiction to resonate, they must speak honestly and emotionally. Along with the response to art, it should also be within the wider cultural movement of the time, both rapidly moving forward in society and being remembered for a long time,” adds the artist who idolises Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.
His paintings are surreal in bright, beautiful colors, full of flowers, symbols and motifs, for creating which he takes inspiration from his surroundings. “There is so much beauty around us, but we often forget that,” he says. “Surrealism is a part of life for every Indian. Lord Ganesha whom everyone worships is the first face of surrealism,” he signs off.
