Why India?
Because Incredible India hits every visitor with its flamboyant lights, colours, and fragrances. And what strikes me the most is the people—faces, figures and gestures—so intense!
One can spot striking characters at every corner. I am most impressed by old people from rural India. There seems to be wisdom at ageing in India.
What fascinates you about this country?
I am fascinated by the forts and ruins. Mehrangarh, Chittorgarh, Amber forts in Rajasthan, or Golconda near Hyderabad, and even the incredible temples of Khajuraho, Puri or Madurai and also Sarnath. They beautifully express both the grandeur of India’s history and also the passing of time. Glory on one hand, decay on the other.
Any other form of creative expression that you indulge in?
I have been playing classical guitar for a long time. When I arrived in India, I was quickly fascinated by Indian music. In fact, I have now been playing the sitar for about 10 years under Ustad Ghulam Dastagir Khan. Over the years I have had the privilege of listening to some of the greatest classical singers and musicians of India: Bismillah Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Jasraj, Nizami Brothers, Shujaat Hussain Khan, and so many others. I love the majestic venues such as the India Gate under the moon light, Humayun’s Tomb or Diggi Palace in Jaipur where concerts are often organised. Each concert for me is a moment of ‘bliss’. Indian music takes one’s soul to the edge of the sacred.
Did you always want to be an artist?
Yes. I started to draw at a very young age in Japan where I was born. Influenced by the children’s tales, I would sketch horses and samurais. Later in France, I carried on drawing whenever I got bored at school. I found solace in sketching Voltaire or Sartre during the French class; or making quirky portraits of Einstein with his equation during Physics class. I also loved to caricature our French presidents Charles de Gaulle and Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou. In Philosophy class, came my fascination for Indian fakirs.
You have travelled far and wide in India. How has it been?
Riding my motorcycle through Ladakh, Dharamsala, and Rajasthan has been an overwhelming experience. I met all kinds of people—from gurus and swamis, to eccentric characters such as Maharajas and Thakurs, and even the aam admi on the street. All of them have been a part of this extraordinary journey that culminated in these paintings.
What is your favourite medium or technique?
It’s difficult to say. My images decide my medium or technique. I might want to use charcoal and washes for one and acrylic for the other. I have painted portraits and taken inspiration from cubism—there is no set thing that I follow.
Up close and personal
Testard is inspired by India. At his recent exhibition at Bikaner House in New Delhi, he showcased some eclectic work segregated into various themes that have fascinated him. The artist, who freely experiments with method, says, “What I often do is first draw on my notebook and then project it on a larger canvas.” Testard deploys a range of techniques: pencil, charcoal, wash, water colour, acrylic, oil, and even collage. Even though he claims he is a self-taught artist, one can notice the multiple influences on his work. They range from the French cartoonists of his youth (Georges Wolinski, Jean-Marc Reiser, Guillermo Mordillo) to the greats such as Georges Braque, Giorgio de Chirico, Alberto Giacometti, Raoul Dufy, and Nicolas de Stael.
Words that he picked up in India: Pucca, Shaayad, Kal, Thoda thoda
Favourite Bollywood actors: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan
What distresses him about India? Pollution
Favourite places in India: Kolkata, Rishikesh, Ahmedabad, Goa