Framing the Artist | Travel to Faraway Lands with Suruchi Jamkar

It’s always interesting to know about how an artist’s background has influenced her art. How did where you grew up and the experiences you’ve had shaped the art you make?

I was surrounded by art as a child and was always fascinated by it. In fact, my dad used to ask me whether I wanted to be an artist. I went on to win a number of awards and competitions for my art when I was a child. Since art has always been a part of my life, art is extremely personal to me. It is influenced by my experiences, by my travels and the people who I meet. Whether it is a game of marbles I remember playing with friends or the temple sculptures I loved in Hampi, they tend to find their way on to my canvas.

What were your first steps when working with the medium that you choose?

The subject I paint always dictates the medium in which I work. With the series ‘Road Less Travelled’, I was fascinated by the roads of Leh. I wanted to convey the rich colours and I knew that oil paints with their thick texture would be perfect for it. For another series called ‘My Existence’ which was about finding one’s way around the world, I used paper which is used for x-rays and watercolours and pencil sketches. Sometimes I use marbling. Since I am comfortable with oils, acrylics, inks, waters, pastels, mixed media, it is always the subject that dictates the surface and medium I pick for a piece of art.

How would you describe your art to a child?

Using stories! I think of myself as a storyteller and my medium is art. This is reflected in the art that I produce. Every work of mine has a story- it is multi-layered and one with which anyone can connect to on an existential level.

Have you ever had a period of being creatively blocked? How did you work through it?

I remember being creatively blocked when I moved from Mumbai to Nagpur. But pottery became my way out of it. Creative blocks are about a lack of inspiration. They happen when there is monotony- repeating the same style over and over again. Whenever I feel the push to create something new and try something different, I spend time at the pottery wheel and clay becomes the way of starting afresh.

What can we look forward to from you next?

My next solo show is going to be held at the Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi next year which I am working hard on and having the time of my life doing it!

More about Suruchi Jamkar

About the Dreamer: Suruchi Andhare-Jamkar, a graduate from Sir J J School of Art, Mumbai, and Post Graduate in Creative Painting from Lalit Kala Vibhag, Nagpur University, has held several exhibitions in many cities of India over the last few years. Her paintings depict the young artist’s journey into the human psyche and her relationship with life. She speaks of existence and of the spirit of a young girl’s dialogue with her personal space through the medium of art. Her paintings embody images from the external world as well as real and surreal impressions and expressions from the mysterious realms of human imagination. Suruchi’s artworks can be found in the collections of hundreds of private customers, as well as government and private institutions, including fashion design institutes. Her unique style and captivating narratives make her a favorite among collectors, architects, and interior designers across central India. For those looking to explore and purchase her works, many of her pieces are available in online art galleries, offering art lovers a chance to buy original paintings that resonate with their own life journeys.