INTERVIEW WITH CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ARTIST DEEPA VEDPATHAK

In contemporary Indian artist Deepa Vedpathak’s paintings, the rhythm of music and dance pulls her characters into a flow state, where they freely experience and express emotion. The colors are vibrant, yet soft and soothing. Her canvases simply exude positive energy — the kind of art that invariably produces a smile in our clients here at Laasya Art. With such a feel-good impression, along with an accessible price range for collectors, Deepa is one of our more popular young artists.

We wanted to dig deeper and learn more about what inspires Deepa and the figures that populate her paintings (including the mysterious woman who often appears in her work). So, we invited leading Indian art historian and writer Sandhya Bordewekar to interview Deepa, and what follows is their conversation.

Deepa, when did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?

I grew up in a Wada in Sholapur. Wadas were sprawling homes of noble joint families built in the 19th century and earlier. As these families disintegrated, parts of the Wada were sectioned off and offered on rent. The really large Wadas often housed the temple of the presiding deity of the family, generally in the middle of an open-to-sky courtyard. My childhood home was in one such Wada, which had a Vithal Mandir. The Vithal-Rakhumai (Krishna-Laxmi) bhakti tradition is very important in Maharashtra and followed by all. It is marked by devotional songs — bhajan and abhang singing — that goes on almost throughout the year. I used to join in this singing ever since I was very young and that’s where my love of singing has roots.

But more importantly, in one section of this same Wada lived the teacher who taught my class art in school. I would run to his home to show him my drawings and he would guide me. In addition, both my mother and her brother, my mama, were fond of drawing and painting and practiced it themselves. All of them supported my interest in art and so, with their blessings, I decided that I would go to art school.

So that’s where the singers, musicians and dancers come from in your works! Do you play music in the background as you paint in the studio?

Yes, the singers at the temple would be both men and women, but on festive occasions, the large drums would be played by young men, who would often dance to the rhythm. Those vibrant images are so vividly imprinted in my memory! I can just reach in and pull out an image any time I want.

I also feel that music, especially folk and religious music, connects the head and the heart in a wonderful way. In my studio, the music is almost always on. I love the mood it creates. The Ragas Yaman, Desh, Jog, Malkauns, Tilak-kamod and Hamsadhwani are my favorites. These are happy Ragas and the compositions never fail to perk me up. And they somehow infuse the painting I am working on with so much positivity and good energy vibes. If I hadn’t pursued art, I would have definitely become a vocalist!

Then, are some of the women musicians in your works…

Yes, you guessed right. They are all me!

Besides musicians, what are the other themes you have enjoyed exploring in your paintings?

Oh, I have many more – Mother & Child, Love and its various expressions, a Woman and her many moods, from joyous to pensive and thoughtful. I prefer to work with subjects that will bring a smile to the lips of the viewer and touch their heart with warmth. My color palette is also bright and striking. I rarely use browns and grays. I use the palette knife to create bold strokes. Therefore the painting is built up in color squares. My aim is to create a painting that should light up the room in which it is hung!

You have been working in this format and with these themes for a few years now. Are you planning a new ‘artistic’ turn any time in the future?

Sometimes people ask me this. My answer is that if you look at my works carefully, there are changes that come in quietly and substantially every 2-3 years. The changes are in technique, but the content is largely the same. Currently, I am experimenting with several ideas and different techniques as well. If I am comfortable with the results I achieve, then I will come up with a new solo that unravels this new style! I am personally a happy and positive soul. That flows into my paintings.

As a mother, wife and full-time artist, how do you maintain work-life balance?

I keep my home and studio separate even though my studio is only a little distance from my home. I go to the studio when my daughter is at school. I get a good 4 to 5 hours of work time. That is enough for me. My studio is my own space and I am most happy there!

Thank you so much, Deepa!

— Sandhya Bordewekar

To browse our curated collection of contemporary paintings by Indian artist Deepa Vedpathak, visit https://laasyaart.com/deepa-vedpathak/. If you would like to make an appointment to see these works in person at our Indian art gallery in Palo Alto, please reach out at info@laasyaart.com or +1 650-770-9088.