An Interview with Ms. Sumita Kakkar and Mr. Rajesh Kakkar

Ms. Sumita Kakkar and Mr. Rajesh Kakkar

Who or what inspired you to embark on your own journey in the world of arts?

Sumita: As a child, my mother saw the potential in me and introduced me to an eminent artist, Nayantara Nathani. I learned all forms of painting from her for more than six years. Her work inspired me and made me more and more interested in becoming a student of art.

Rajesh: I have for long been an appreciator of arts. I lose no opportunity to observe and enjoy art, not only painted by great masters but other artists too. My trips to most cities, especially in Europe, include visits to museums and art galleries.

Have you studied arts or obtained formal training in it?

Sumita: Yes. During my schools and college years, I kept learning from my teacher and mentor above.

Rajesh: Not really. Except for the mandatory drawing and art classes in school and the short duration classes before the state level drawing exams, I have not obtained any formal training.

Describe your art style.

Sumita: I am most fond of oil painting and inclined towards nature and portraits.

Rajesh: One form that I have been fascinated with is impressionism, though I cannot claim it to be my style. Lately I have been looking at the unconventional mode of digital art.

For how many years have you practiced your art, and have you had to overcome any hurdles on the way?

Sumita: Since I started learning during my school years, I have kept learning and practicing; I was teaching various art forms and kept learning while teaching.

Rajesh: I actually started painting only a few years back. More than any hurdles, it was the pressures of a corporate job that left little time to pursue and experiment with art myself. Also, my mindset is to delve into many things rather than excel in one. Hence, the available time is apportioned between reading, writing, studying, and creative aspects.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

Sumita: It is really nice to see that my students are now very good artists.

Whenever I made a painting, it was always appreciated and almost all my friends and relatives have my paintings still hanging on their walls.

Another occasion, when I got a great response, was when apart from painting myself, I could, along with all the Gyandeep volunteers, get our entire community to come forward and convert our service lane into an Art Lane. The project was greatly appreciated and even covered in the media.

My paintings were exhibited and appreciated at the Asian Literary Society’s first art exhibition in Jan 2020.

Rajesh: On one occasion, we had a kind of workshop where we had to start and complete a painting within three hours. I attempted a small piece and managed to complete it in the time given. I was pleasantly surprised that it was appreciated and even hung in the drawing-room.

What do you aim to achieve in the future?

Sumita: I would like to have an exhibition for various kinds of paintings made by my Gyandeep children. They have been learning and it would be a great opportunity to showcase their creativity.

Rajesh: Now that I have more time on my hands, the usual excuse has been taken away. I would like to create paintings on a more regular basis. I hope to achieve a level where I can imagine an incident from a story and convert it into a painting. The aim would be to have the viewer relate to the snapshot picture and understand the context.

Is there any specific area you now wish to explore?

Sumita: While my first love is an oil painting, I like to experiment with different mediums and different forms. I am curious about different materials both for the substrate and the paints.

Rajesh: I would like to explore digital art based on the creativity of the content. I would like to focus more on the story and the emotions of the characters and utilize the relatively easier medium to create a painting.

What would you advise youngsters inclined towards the arts?

Sumita: Use your imagination and creativity and just be yourself. There is no limit to learning.

Rajesh: Art, in all its forms, is an important element of human life. It reflects human emotions and builds a bridge between the artist and the viewer. In that sense, I would urge all people who have the inclination to experiment and explore whichever medium you fancy. It matters little whether you pursue classical arts or newer forms like cinema or animation or cartoons, but just get on with it.

Ms. Sumita Kakkar’s Artworks