Journey of world

Vinita Karim has held 19 solo shows around the world. Vinita has lived and worked across Europe and Asia. Educated in Sweden and the Philippines, she has taken it as an inspiration and catalyst for new ideas in her art works. Currently she resides in Dhaka and Delhi

What are the influences of different regions in your artwork?
I have been travelling since I was a child. I went to KG class in Germany and did my schooling in Sudan, Kuwait and Pakistan. I was exposed to Islamic architecture and calligraphy. These places were all very different and each one left its imprint. Later, as an adult, I lived in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

I was introduced to European art and its history and different forms of European architecture. I studied art in Sweden, initially and the emphasis was on mastering the human body as a basis of all art. Swedish art contains muted colours. People are almost afraid to use vibrant colours. Later, I lived in Egypt and Philippines.

Egypt with all its history and deserts was quite inspirational. I noticed that artists tend to use muddy colours there like the desert. I earned an MFA from University of Philippines. I got to learn about South East Asian art as well as modern art movements in Asia and USA. It was interesting to see how disparate art is all over the world. A lot of Filipino art is similar to Indian or Mexican art; it is figurative and very colourful. Each of these countries has had an influence on me.

How important has been 'Nature' as your subject?
Nature is everywhere. It is in the little leaf outside my window or the rivers and seas around. Nature has always been and will continue to be a great source of inspiration. There is no parallel to the beauty of nature, nothing man made can even begin to compare with nature.

One only has to see a streak of lightening on a stormy night to be awed by nature or to feel a cool wind and rustling of leaves to be transported into a new mood. The sun, the moon, the trees, they are all elements in my work. If I go to a beautiful place, I love to express myself with colours and capture the mood.

Which Indian artists inspire you?
I am inspired by the landscapes of Raza and Ram Kumar. I love the figurative work of Laxma Goud and Ramachandran and the wonderful etchings of Anupam Sud.

Have you seen any changes in 'landscape of buildings' world over?
Landscapes of building differ depending on where they are from. I love the landscapes of Austrian Egon Schiele as well as the fantastic colourful work of Hunderwasser also from Austria.

Manu Parekh does some interesting depictions of Benares. Every artist depicts his own version of the landscape he finds himself in. This may be an imaginary city or a realistic one. I also choose to depict my own imaginary cities and ports, sceneries, which emerge slowly one by one after I lay down my colours on a blank canvas.

Tell us about your experience with 'diverse cultures' and your art installations. I have had amazing experiences with so many cultures. I realised that different cultures have a different threshold for colours. Nordic countries like Sweden, just cannot handle bright hues, they need pale or dark colours with less details. Even their homes are minimalistic.

In comparison, Asians who are used to a lot of colours, big population, crowded housing, love bright hues and crowded canvases do not scare them. South Europeans like French and Spanish love colours too.

My MFA project was called Artmasala, negotiations with different cultures in which I had used giant industrial spools with 700 meters of fabric dyed with spices and pigments to show the seamless flow of information and intermingling of cultures which is occurring in our world today due to internet, more travel and more exchange of information.

Recently, I did another installation of a carousel, called ‘If wishes were horses’, which plays on childhood memories of happy days. It was made with five fiber glass horses and had a motor. Inspired by nature, Vinita Karim brings life in her artworks