CHENNAI : I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, “He feels deeply, he feels tenderly,” as the words of Vincent Van Gogh read. The profound emotional connection that art can create between the artist and the audience is a driving force for many creatives. For Shruthi Challani, art has become a way of life, embodying this very essence. Shruthi shares with CE her art journey, future aspirations, and inspirations.
A casual attempt to teach her daughter to paint on canvas led to the establishment of her venture Piture Art. Drawing from the Spanish word Pintura meaning painting, Piture Art was officially launched in 2023. Since then, Shruthi’s artworks have been displayed in two exhibitions — the Indian Art Festival in New Delhi and the Mumbai Art Fair — where they captivated both critics and art enthusiasts alike.
Place a blank canvas before an artist and watch them create entire worlds within it, stories and emotions hidden in every brushstroke. From abstract paintings of nature to oil-painted seascapes, Shruthi’s art exudes serenity and peace. “I don’t follow a particular theme; I like to work in a versatile manner, exploring different styles, mediums, and subjects,” she remarks. Of late, Shruthi has also been experimenting with religious art, and in doing so, she crafted a piece that is exceptionally close to her heart: the Balarama painting.
In a heart-touching encounter at the Mumbai Art Fair, Shruthi narrates how an aged man was overwhelmed with emotions on seeing the Balarama painting. “He shared that the painting was precisely like the Balarama figure he had witnessed in Ayodhya and couldn’t take his eyes off the painting for half an hour. As an artist, witnessing people emotionally connect with your work is one of the most heartwarming feelings ever and this is an experience that is exceptionally close to my heart,” says Shruthi.
She also adds that while painting it, she could feel the aura of God around her, which instilled in her the belief that she could achieve whatever she wanted, and that divine presence fuelled her determination immensely.
Art changes both the artist and the perceiver, and Shruthi emphasises this transformative power of art. “Earlier, I used to get anxious very quickly. But I’ve noticed that while painting, I’m a lot calmer and tend to forget about the world around me and focus entirely on the piece I’m working on,” she says.
Being a woman in this society, it is common to get tangled in the webs of familial responsibilities and societal expectations. Shruthi wanted to break free from those webs and create a unique identity. “The thought of wanting to do something for myself kept me awake all night. As a woman, your identity often gets reduced to someone’s wife or someone’s daughter. I wanted to make my own identity and be known for my art,” she shares. Her determination to establish myself as an artist drove me to overcome these obstacles and pursue my dreams relentlessly.
While Shruthi was thrilled to be featuring her paintings at reputed festivals in the country, she was overcome with self-doubt, unsure of how the audience would receive her art. However, the audience at both the Indian Art Festival in New Delhi and the Mumbai Art Fair welcomed her dearly, and smiles quickly replaced those thoughts of doubt. She sold 17 out of 23 paintings, and needless to say, her first art exhibition was a massive success. At the Mumbai Art Fair, too, Shruthi received a great response, receiving several testimonials regarding her art. This boosted her confidence and motivated her to work towards putting up more shows in the future.
Inspired by the Dutch Baroque painter Rembrandt, Shruthi has always been fascinated by Old Master paintings. Being a realism artist, Shruthi highlights that she has been exploring the European art style and is seeking to incorporate those techniques in her work. She believes the realm of art is like an ocean; regardless of how long one has been practising it, the learning never ends.
Going forward, Shruthi hopes to see her paintings line the walls of art exhibitions in Paris. Her willingness to learn and experiment and her determination to reach newer heights drive her success.
Find Shruthi Challani’s artwork at www.pitureart.com