From interior designer to successful pen and ink artist: meet Ashu Gupta, Art Bengaluru 2018

In Part III of our photo essay on the Art Bengaluru 2018 festival, we showcase more of the creative works along with insights from artist journeys.

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 260 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

The Art Bengaluru 2018 exhibition at the UB City mall features the diverse works of 17 artists from six cities: Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Indore. The festival will run through November 11, and is free for all (see also Part I and Part II of our photo essay).

The festival’s partners include Parikrma Centre of Learning, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology and Dr. Beltran’s Animation School. The opening night of the 10-day festival featured musical and dance performances by The Flying Drummers, Madpoi, Aman Mahajan, Nush Lewis, and Raman Iyer.

Featured artists at the 10-day festival this year are Ashish Dubey, Ashu Gupta, Balan Nambiar, Chandan Bhowmick, D Venkatapathy, Devangana Kumar, Ganesh Selvaraj, Gurudas Shenoy, Kavita Jaiswal, Pallon Daruwala, Parvathi Nayar, Rohaan Sulaiman, Romicon Revola, S Ravi Shankar, Saju Kunhan, Vipta Kapadia and Yuvan Bothysathavur. 

Ashu Gupta has literally carved a name for herself through her pen and ink artworks, and has exhibited at Sublime Galleria in Bengaluru and India Art Festival in Mumbai. One section of the Art Bengaluru exhibition features her intricately layered and deep drawings.

“I studied interior design from NIFD, but was drawn much more to art,” said Ashu, in a chat with YourStory. She was born in Raipur, and moved to Bengaluru after getting married.

“I was always attracted to nature. We take nature for granted during our busy lives, but it shouldn’t be that way. We admire owls for their enchanting eyes, but forget that cutting trees affects their lives,” Ashu explains.

Her works at the Art Bengaluru exhibition reflect the forms of sliced tree trunks, hauntingly captured in stark ink images made by the humble pen. “Using only black and white makes your art speak more,” Ashu insists.

“Success and happiness come from the act of creation, and not just having to work like a machine. Art was the biggest break I got,” she recalls. She urges audiences to think twice before they allow trees to be cut. “We want wide roads, but this should not be at the cost of cutting trees,” Ashu advocates. 

As advice to aspiring artists, she says that there is no age limit for getting into art. “Know what you want to create. Maturity comes from your ability to think and create, and not just from age,” Ashu signs off.

Now what have you done today to find your creative spark, and connect it to a larger purpose?

Got a creative photograph to share? Email us at [email protected]!

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