Life is a celebration, live on'

Artist-sculptor Swati Pasari says that being a pranic healer and having a spiritual side helps her understand life closely and create better artworks.

Being an artist in a Marwari family is not easy and joining the family business is apparently the only choice you have. But it wasn’t the same with Swati Pasari who decided to go with her inner calling and chose art as a career. “When you have a strong willpower and have loads of determination, you achieve what you want. Though it was difficult convincing the family that I wanted to be an artist and not join the business but then they understood,” shares the Kolkata-based artist and sculptor. Swati’s latest collection,Celebrating Life, will be on display at Visual Arts Gallery between June 1 and June 4.

The self-taught artist studied commerce at Bond University in Australia during which period she made up her mind to be an artist though she was inclined towards arts since her childhood days. “During my school days, I used to make a lot of cards and albums on birthdays and anniversaries of family members and friends. Also, I did a lot of projects and made hundreds of charts in school. So, you can say that I have grown up with paints, colours and drawings. However, my first painting was of Ganesha,” shares Swati.

As she is both a painter and a sculptor, which one does she feels closer to? “Though there is a difference in creating a sculpture and a painting but when it comes to expressing, I am equally comfortable in both. I use both oil on canvas and water colour as also make sculptures,” Swati lets us know.

“I enter a different dimension when I paint and do not know what the painting will become till it is done,” says Swati who through Celebrating Life has made an attempt to understand her own personality and life around her. “My paintings are a reflection of my thought process. When I paint, I think and feel inner peace and beauty, serenity and calmness. So my paintings manifest these feelings. As I go along with the creations, I build on the idea of what the painting should look like,” she says.

Swati has earned accolades for her work across the globe. The themes of her paintings include immortality, timelessness and finding inner peace. While her works have immense artistic maturity, she has been painting since 2007. And in these years, she has exhibited her paintings in several parts of the world with many upcoming exhibitions scheduled. Ask her where in the world do you find the best art connoisseurs and promptly comes the reply, “It has to be Italy. The country has been always associated with art, especially since the Renaissance age. Every time I have visited Florence, I have felt there is an inherent connection between this city and art. People love and appreciate art, especially painting and it feels amazing to be there.”

Why do her sculptures, mostly of Hindu deities, are faceless? “The reason if them not having eyes is that you don’t need eyes to see god, nose to smell god, mouth to taste Him or ears to listen to Him. Similarly, He doesn’t need to it too. These being Hindu deities has no religious connect. I am a spiritual person who feels god is within us and around us. By saying this, I do not mean that I am not religious art all but god, for me, is one. It is a form, a life. This life is what I celebrate and when it comes to celebrations, there have to be colours and vibrant hues. That is reason, you will see a lot of people dancing and playing instruments in my works as this is what life is all about for me,” Swati shares.

Does being a pranic healer and having a spiritual side to her help her understand life closely and create better works? “Of course, they do. That I am a pranic healer helps me comprehend the deeper meaning of life as well as celebrate it to all its glory and adds magic to my creativity,” she says, adding, “Art is the most beautiful medium to spread positivity. It often has the ability to spread joy and happiness and since I love working on the spiritual healing of the people around me, my art often reflects that.”

In her opinion, will the art fairs being organised across the country help in bringing art closer to the common man? “Art, I believe, is already getting closer to the common man. There was a time when people sulked when you told them that you are a painter. But today more and more people are accepting art as a profession and understanding its meaning. Today, a sizeable number of visitors to my exhibitions is the common man. They now choose to add a piece of art to their home which is a indeed a promising future for the field of art,” says Swati.

Swati’s works are not limited to the canvas alone. She is a social activist too whose heart speaks loud for the downtrodden. Through her artworks, she tries to usher in happiness and joy in the lives of one and all around her. She is also spiritually connected to the holy city of Varanasi where she contributes regularly to a hospital and visits a school. “My art is a mean to raise funds for these activities,” she says.