Oil Painter Jigna Takes Us on an Excursion through Her Native India

As the saying goes, good things sometimes come in small packages. And so it is with the Colonnades Gallery in Newark, New Jersey. This 18’ x 25’ white box is a gem of a gallery space tucked on the lower level of the landmark Colonnades Apartments, which, incidentally was designed by the renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

On April 25, 2011, the Colonnade Gallery launched "Out of India" Art Exhibit featuring the oil paintings of Jigna, an artist from Mumbai, India. Though the exhibit features only seven works of this rising artist, one becomes immediately impressed by the array of subject matters she explores. For example, her paintings features a close-up of a glistening golden Buddhist statue; a procession of dignitaries riding on elephants through the golden ruins of Hampi, a village in northern Karnataka, India, and selected as a Unesco World Heritage site; the iconic Taj Mahal, a mausoleum which serves as a testament to undying love; and a painting of the cave etchings of the Warli indigenous people which dates back to 2,500 B.C.

I had the fortunate opportunity of interviewing Jigna about her artistic work and its influences for Expressive Artistry Review.

What factors are most influential in determining the forms you present in your visual work?

I am basically quite excited about landscapes and their forms. The context, and the colours, which ultimately exude happy feelings, are the factors that inspire me.

I therefore do not restrict my work to one concept but allow my flow to any visual delight that excites and inspires me. Being an avid traveler and a nature loving person I am always quite inundated with concepts and visuals that I would love to display in my art.

I have been very much inspired by the art of the Impressionistic artists like Claude Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and others of the time. Their styles do find place in my works, particularly works that are inspired by the beautiful and abundant nature. And therefore my work is more reflective than imaginative.

The subsequent art forms like cubism or the later modern art forays find little place in my style. 

Knowing that artists must ever evolve their artistry, what are the things you do to develop your painting techniques?

Oils on canvas offer tremendous scope for playing with textures, colours creating effects, giving impressionistic contours. This is one reason Acrylics do not thrill me though today’s professionals prefer this medium.

In an art climate which sometimes tries to pigeonhole an artist according to populist or mainstream values of a society, what challenges have you had to overcome to find your artistic voice?

I have not had to face any specific challenges, as I do not like to conform to any specific idea of an artist. I paint more so for my pleasure and as of date no society pressure has as yet affected my style.

What are the types of experiences that inspire your work?

Since the Art works was planned to be displayed, out of India, I had the desire to display works that showcased India and its wide cultural heritage. I did some research and came across these topics which were both captivating, and offered good scope of displaying my skills in my style.

There seems to be an element of spirituality expressed by your work. What, if any, spiritual connection are you trying to make with the spectator who views your work?

When I display works of Art, with India as its theme, I cannot be far from its spiritual ethos. India is a land of Gods and Goddesses, of mythology of Temples and Gurus and Sadhus.

The topic and concept for my new set of paintings also is India, which offers huge and expansive variety of issues as inspiration.

However I do not get bound by any one topic, and depending about my inspiration at the point of time I select my subjects, which mostly border on landscapes that exude awe and happiness.

Is there any final comment you'd like to make about your work and your artistry?

I love doing oils on canvas … works that give depth and offer visual treat to the eyes. Subjects chosen could be places I would have visited, or seen in pictures, and less out of imagination. This therefore explains the wide variety of topics I choose.

Thank you, Jigna. We appreciate you talking to us at Expressive Artistry Review about your work.

Well, if you’re looking to take a brief excursion into the ancient and the exotic with this avid traveler through her native India, you should visit Jigna’s “Out of India” Art Exhibit now on display at The Colonnade Gallery. The exhibit runs through Sunday, May 15. The Colonnade Gallery is located at 25 Clifton Avenue, in Newark, New Jersey, in the Colonnade Apartments. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. For more information, call (973) 484-9750.