INTERVIEW WITH CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ARTIST MADHURI BHADURI

Serene, majestic, uplifting — these are the words that immediately spring to mind to describe artist Madhuri Bhaduri‘s poignant seascapes and landscapes. Across her major series including Reflections, Moon, Horizons and Seascapes, she demonstrates a skilled command of color in bold yet cheerful hues. She does not depict figurative scenes of nature but instead captures the abstract feel of it — fleeting moments of rain, shadows and glimmers of light.

Having exhibited around the world in more than 40 solo and over 100 group shows, Madhuri Bhaduri is certainly an established artist today. But her path to success was an unexpected one, winding from sports to art and from experimentation to her signature abstract style. In a recent interview, she kindly answered a few burning questions about her career, inspirations and artistic process.

What was your childhood like? Did you always see yourself becoming an artist?

My mom was a classical singer, and my dad was a national level sportsman. I was born with a badminton racket! Following in his footsteps, I played badminton at the national level quite early in life, just like him, and I won the doubles championships in 1975, 76 and 77. Then I played squash while studying economics, all before turning my attention to art. In fact, my mother gave away my cups and medals to the kabaddi-wala so only a handful of photos remain as a record. This was back in the days before social media and digital documentation.

But you ultimately returned to art. What inspired you to change your path in life?

I was always fond of drawing, painting and other forms of creative expression in my school days. So I decided to pursue my passion by going for a Master’s Degree in Art in the late 1980s. This is where my journey as an artist began, though I had been painting earlier. My most memorable early encouragements came from Maharani Gayatri Devi, who took a keen interest in my work in the late 70s, and Jamshedji Bhabha of TATA, who personally collected a few of my paintings in the early 80s. In fact, I had my first solo exhibition in 1986 which was inaugurated by the late S.L. Kirloskar.

After completing my Masters in 1988, I got married in 1989 and lived in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi, as my husband was in a transferable job. Exposure to the major metro cities in India allowed me to get acquainted with art at the national level, besides allowing me the freedom and time to give undivided attention to my career.

You’ve mentioned your husband and the role of your family at the beginning of your career. Was it difficult to keep up your artistic practice during this time, or did it provide some solace?

My emotional struggles were very deep and complex due to my husband’s suffering from an autoimmune disease. The need to support my family and bring up a small child as an artist was undoubtedly challenging — those six to seven years were the most trying times that I have faced — but it also made me realize that suffering brings out the best in an artist, as it pushes you to go beyond your limits. Art became a great source of emotional satisfaction and solace, at the same time being my profession and livelihood.

I am and always have been a very emotionally charged person, and art became the best way of expressing it. In the soul’s journey, it helps to be self-reliant and to believe in your own self, which in turn makes you more confident to face whatever comes your way. As my only relief, it was this form of creative expression of my spirit, energy and optimism that paved the way for my journey in the art world.