On the Hurun India Art List 2020 at #2 is New Delhi based Rameshwar Broota, with a total sales of INR 11.89 Crore. His artwork named ‘Anatomy of that Old Story’ believed to have fetched the highest value amongst all his artworks. In this tete-a-tete he paints our canvas of questions, telling us of his first…
Tell us about your journey. At what age did you start painting?
When I was young, around 4 years old, I used to observe my elder brothers draw and paint. I was very impressed with the way they used to do it. I remember, on the first day of my school, while we were waiting for the teacher to enter the class, a boy from my class took the chalk and started drawing on the board. First, he made a circle and then eyes, nose, leaf a garland and suddenly a beautiful drawing was present on the board. I was mesmerized seeing it. As soon as I reached home, I started drawing on the wall with the help of a pencil. I made a circle with a bowl, followed by eyes, nose, garland, and it was done! I couldn’t believe that even I could draw. I was so happy that after making that first drawing, I don’t even remember how many drawings I made on those walls. That is how my drawing and painting journey began at the age of 4. Even as a college-going teenager, subjects like economics and Math never interested me. Sketching and painting were the two subjects very close to my heart so post that finally, I managed to get admission into Delhi College of Arts.
What was that moment like when you decided that you are going to be an artist? What made you go for it?
I was not so great with my studies. I used to spend most of my time painting. As I said, my drawing and painting journey started at a young age, I took it further and decided to make it my career. I participated in several art exhibitions and that way, I started earning and became a painter 24*7.
What is your source of inspiration, or what motivates you to perform art?
Well, if you see my paintings from the initial days, they are usually large and depict skeletons or thin bodies of undernourished labourers. I try to show that they are just sitting and thinking of what to do and not. Situations where they want to do something, but their poor conditions restrict them from doing what they want to do. When I started my journey as an artist, these were the initial images that used to come to my mind. I feel these images were the result of the situations that arose out of privilege imbalance in society, where on one hand, people are not nourished and on the other, lots of privileged people waste food. I used to connect with these situations because even I have been through the same. There was a point in my life where I started painting professionally, but there was no sales. I had to take loans to manage my finances.
What is your favourite mode of expression – painting, photographs, sculptures or movies? Is there anything that you would like to try new?
I can easily switch from one medium to another. Each medium satisfies an urge within me – I don’t prefer one over the other. Since I have been painting from the beginning I feel I have a greater command over the medium. I am already experimenting and discovering new ways of expressing myself in these mediums. So I don’t really dream of trying something else, I keep switching. I usually don’t paint because I have to participate in exhibitions, I paint only when I have the urge to do it.
Do you think Indian art is valued correctly, compared to its peers?
I don’t compare with the international standards, because I don’t take much interest in the pricing at an international level.
Why do you think Indians should collect Indian art? What is its importance? Is it a good investment, or is it more required from a perspective of increasing our cultural interests?
I feel whoever acquires an art piece should buy it because they are fond of art. The collector should be happy about it and buy it for his/her own self. For example, whenever they look at the painting, they should feel good about it, and it should inspire them. Nowadays, a lot of people are looking at the art collection from an investment perspective. Maybe this has come from western culture. I think that should not be the attitude. Firstly, you should love art, love culture as if you can’t live without it. Re-selling should not be a motive to buy art in the first place. Around 10 to 15 years back, I bought an original Picasso etching. The feeling behind purchasing that work was that it was really powerful. I felt it will look very good in my house. I still have that work in my house and never have I thought of selling it.
What do you think is the role that a gallery plays in promoting an artist? What would be your message to upcoming and young artists on their relationship with the gallery?
My message for young artists is that they should be committed to one art gallery, so the price remains stable. Also, it becomes easy for the artist, as far as the selling part is taken care of by the galleries. The galleries take care of the promotion part as well. As far as I am concerned, I’m an introvert kind of person. If the publicity is happening by itself, like your Hurun India Art List where you have ranked me, it feels good that I am going ahead, people like my work and acknowledge it. I am very reluctant in giving interviews and facing the camera. Indirect publicity which happens through my work, I am comfortable with it.
What do you like about your work?
I love the process. Painting in itself is a very interesting activity. Sometimes, you start with a theme in the mind and you know where to start and end. In other instance, you just start and discover new things in the process. The thrill of doing something new and entering in an unchartered territory has a magnetic attraction. Even if you look closely, you will find changes in all my series. I never stick to a single style or medium. If I am engrossed in one medium, I will be there till I reach the point of saturation. So whatever work I do, I enjoy the process and its outcome.
What is the most challenging artwork you have made and to what extent you went to complete it?
It’s very difficult to tell with respect to a particular painting. It’s not that I have made many masterpieces, but genuinely, there’s a lot of detailing and a variety of forms in my work. So it’s very difficult to say about any single painting. To talk about the excitement, when I did the ape series, the first painting where 3 gorillas are standing with files, it was the process of doing that painting that gave me joy and memorable moments.
What are you focusing on now?
A large canvas painting is in front of me which is incomplete and I am totally engrossed in it. I only work on one painting at a time and devote all my energies towards it. Intermittently, I experiment with Resins – making small sculptures.
How was your Lockdown experience?
In Triveni where I live, there are a few art galleries and there is a lot of cultural activities in the institute, so people keep on visiting. Although I prefer to be confined in the studio. Lockdown has made me realize that unconsciously, I like being at home. That’s helping me to focus on painting and other stuff I do. I miss the active environment that was earlier, but I have realized that the pandemic has helped me and confirmed my belief in focusing intensely and not frittering away energies
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