[Year in Review 2020] Art belongs to the audience and the artist – 70 quotes on the appreciation and practice of art

Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a regular feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our past articles. Share these gems and insights with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

From traditional to contemporary art, the arts community in this quotes compilation shares insights on the importance of art in society, the creative journey of an artist, and the importance of audience engagement with art.

Art has an even more important role to play in this day and age as humanity battles the coronavirus pandemic. See our special compilation of 30 inspiring quotes on the power of art in the pandemic era.

We have divided the quotes in this compilation into nine categories: art appreciation, audience role, originality, learning, practice, perseverance, inner journey, relationship to the world, and the road ahead.

Though India has a burgeoning art movement, much more can be done to improve art appreciation and professions across society. See our compilation of 30 quotes on art opportunities and challenges in India.

The quotes and photos in this compilation are drawn from articles in our weekend PhotoSparks section on art and design, as well as other articles from HerStory, SocialStory, and YourStory Weekender. See also our compilations of quotes on the occasion of World Art Day, World Heritage Day, and World Photography Day.

Make it a habit to check out YourStory’s Daily Capsule, and weekly quotes compilations StoryBites. Our Book Review section shares insights and takeaways from over 280 titles on creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).

YourStory wishes all artists, performers, curators, gallerists, and festival organisers a Happy New Year ahead, with much success, joy, and impact!

Art appreciation

With art, you are at peace with the world and with yourself. - Subodh Kerkar

One has to look at art as one would approach a book cover – you are first visually attracted, and if you find a connect you try to explore and understand it more. - Hina Bhatt

Beautiful and meaningful art is a treat to see and a window into another person’s mind. - Neelam Malhotra

The more you familiarise yourself with art, the more it starts speaking to you and a connection can be made. - Kiran Nadar

Context plays an important role in understanding and appreciating artworks but art is always open for interpretation. - Christeena Saju

Art is about a connection or an association, like a feeling or emotion, that is evoked. But that is not always the same as understanding. - Anu Menda

Art is something inborn, each one of us is gifted with some form of art. It’s just that some of us pursue it seriously and a few pursue it as a hobby, while others learn to appreciate it. - Rajini Rekha

Beauty and aesthetics can't be learned, rather felt and experienced. - Sandy Theuerkauf

Art is inherently inclusive. Accessibility is not an option, it has to be a given. - Siddhant Shah

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Art and the audience

Viewers are an integral part of an artist’s growth; they often act as a sounding board. - Veena Rao

Audiences have panoramic views, their ways of imagination are innumerable. - Preeti Kirikera

Art belongs as much to the audience that interacts with it as it does to the artist who creates it. - Sanjana Shah

Every artwork brings a story and the audience should dig a little deeper to connect to the story. - Shole Madhusudhanan

Recognition is a feedback mechanism for better connection. - Somya Pathak

Seeing your art reaching the buyers’ wall where they would cherish it for life becomes a great boost. - Hina Bhatt

Art appreciation in any society is an indicator of its maturity and openness. In India, we still have a long way to go. - Shridhar Deshpande

We need to take the veil off cultural spaces and make them inviting for all so we can nurture inspired and thinking citizens in our country. We are all the richer for it. - Nupur Dalmia

Art appreciation can be improved by getting children and parents to visit museums, conducting exhibitions, and making schools visit exhibitions as part of the curriculum. - Ravi Kattakuri

Art and originality

Success will come from having original ideas. Even though it can be tough to make a mark of your own, you have to create unique and distinct artwork. - Sangeeta Juneja

Finding our own path is much more rewarding than following somebody else’s. - Milna Sajee

Art is very intimate, so keep it as your signature. - Jayanthi Shegar

Artists must find a unique statement and a signature style that makes their work recognisable. - Namu Kini

Individuality is key, and this can only be discovered by working tirelessly in their practice to find the direction for themselves. - Saskia Fernando

Awaken the spiritual quest in yourself, without which all your artistic endeavours will not be fulfilling either for humanity or yourself. - Divyendu Anand

Try to develop a vision stemming from an inner conviction, and create works of authenticity. - Radhika Bharat Ram

For me, art is Me. - Sagar Naik Mule

Art is everything in my life. It has built me day by day. - Mahavir Varma

There is a lot to learn in art, there is no end to learning, it is a vast subject. I feel that I am just learning the letter A of ART. - Veena Devagiri

For me, art stated as a hobby, then developed as passion, and now obsession. - Swaroop V

As an architect, I am often caught between the large scale consumption of materials and non-sustainable aspects of many processes in our work field. -  Subhashish Mandal

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Art and learning

The more you create the more you realise that there is so much more to learn. - Christine Borgohain

Observe and learn from day to day happenings, because even something mundane could be the start of a new idea. - Kanchan Rathna

You have to evolve, you have to learn and better your art and skills, and your craftsmanship year after year. - Shilpa Rao

The only way forward is to keep oneself open to learning, believe in one’s work, and practice as much as possible. - Vanaja Bal

The more you experiment and the more you work, the faster you are likely to find what truly inspires you. -  Suvarna Kamakshi

Art trains you to concentrate on details and pay more attention to your environment. In this way, it acts like meditation. - Bijee Thomas

There is nothing like your artwork in plain sight, pushing you to keep at it every day, even for a limited period of time. - Asha Vivek

Be inspired even by the smallest details. With an open mindset, you can boost your imagination. - P. Sharmila

The practice of art

Art is like a therapy and a huge stress buster. Art is something that makes you breathe a different kind of happiness. - Meena Sansanwal

Drawings are recordable primary sources bringing out artists’ experience on canvas more effectively than words. - MG Doddamani

One must neither be overwhelmed by praise nor should one ignore feedback. It is important to constantly learn and improve. - Nanjunda Swamy

An artist is capable of making a bigger picture than by speaking or writing. - Sonal Varshneya

Drawing on pebbles is an immersive experience which is almost meditative in nature. - Sushil Bhasin

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The inner journey

Art is about telling the story of one’s life. It includes social life as well as fantasy worlds and unfulfilled dreams. - Piyali Chakraborty

Art is the exploration of the soul. Every artist starts from a ‘dot.’ They have to cross many hurdles to reach their goal, and to develop a unique style. It is all the combination of technique, themes, and messages. - Vidya Prasad

For an artist, art and life are not two different things. - Sanjeev Mirajkar

Aspire to be a good human being. That will reflect in one’s art. Art is a mirror to one’s life. - Ratheesh T

We need to tap into ourselves. If you are not evolving as a person, it is difficult to evolve as an artist. - Kunal Kapoor

Art and the world

COVID-19 has brought the art community together and closer. So never look back and just go with the flow. - Mitali Mishra

Give back to nature, what nature has given to us. - Sunita Pavan

There is someone out there whose life might be changed by your artwork, you just have to find them.  - Prasanthi Alluri

Do not use art for any political or religious agendas of hatred. - Sanjeev Mirajkar

Your work has the power to initiate a dialogue, spark a change, and challenge us with reimagined possibilities. - Padmaja Nagarur

Don't create your art to sell it – create because you just felt like it at that point in time. - Pompey Chakravarty

Whilst the market is also necessary, it cannot be the only factor in artistic endeavour. - Shobha Bhatia

Don’t just follow the market. Follow your calling and do what you excel at. - Ajay Rajgarhia

As artists, we can bring forth awareness of the happenings around the world to the audience. - Sreelatha P

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Art and perseverance

Only through persistent study and practice can we improve our artistic skills, techniques, and creativity. - E Ram Mohan

It is imperative to spend time in the studio, pushing things forward – as well as connecting with artist peers for mutual feedback and support. - Andrew Horton

There is no substitute for hard work and patience. Try to play and experiment with your techniques to develop your own style. - Sarika Singh

An artist’s journey is exceptionally inspirational. There are countless struggles on the path to being celebrated and established. - Anu Menda

There is nothing like practice. Every art requires a decent investment of time and discipline to perfect. - Meenakshi Vijay

Write, then rewrite and rewrite and rewrite still. - Alka Joshi

Writing non-fiction is challenging; and if it isn’t, you’re probably doing it wrong. - Puja Changoiwala

The road ahead

Creativity is the most important skill in a changing world. - Firdaus Kharas

Creativity is a craft, and practice and originality will help you succeed. - Indira Chandrasekhar

You have to bring out your creativity and combine it with the developments in the world to create magic. - Nandita Abraham

Artworks are conversations. - Naveen Pattar

The arts and society share a symbiotic relationship. Just as society needs art to add meaning to life, the arts need the support of society in difficult times. - Manasi Prasad

The doors are wide now, but it is up to you to unlock the treasures inside. - Hardik Mehta

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).