Art has always been an expression of inner emotions, intuitions, and aspirations to a majority of people. It has always been a method of expressing one’s perspective on the world, which is an extension of the personality for many. On the other hand, beauty has always been a measure of a feeling’s impact. One often confuses Art with beauty and what gets reflected in their works is either of the two. There has been over a century-long debate among critiques, art writers, and historians over the question of Art and Beauty.
What Art and Beauty mean in the Contemporary period is the question that I feel can get answered by Contemporary Artists. So, in pursuit of understanding the meaning of beauty and art concerning art and artists, I embarked on a journey of interviewing contemporary Indian artists and understanding their work and life within the framework. With this, I came upon the artist Sunanda Khajuria, whose works not only displayed an in-depth answer and understanding of the link between the changing perception of art and beauty but also immediately reminded me of Jyrki Vainonen’s words.
“Dive again and again into the river of uncertainty. Create in the dark, only then can you recognize the light.”
– Jyrki Vainonen
Her paintings are dynamic, full of energy and atmosphere, and contain a variety of motifs and iconographies that appear to come together to convey contemporary stories.
Kainaat Fatima: I remember once reading the quote of James Morris which said, “Kashmir has always been more than a mere place. It has the quality of the experience, or a state of mind, or perhaps an ideal.” We all know how Kashmir has a synonym of being called Paradise. You were born in one of the beautiful cities of Jammu and Kashmir Painthal, a city that has seen histories come in and go.
My question to you is, Has the history and current socio-political situations of your area inspired you to discover and create art?
Sunanda Khajuria: Jammu and Kashmir, like the rest of India’s states, is breathtakingly beautiful. In Jammu and Kashmir, you can discover a wonderful blend of natural mysteries and local folk culture. On the one hand, Kashmir is surrounded by the natural beauty of high mountains, green valleys, lakes, orchards, apple and walnut groves, and wooden bridges. Jammu, on the other hand, is known for its distinct Dogra culture, as well as numerous magnificent temples, natural springs or baoli, historical wall paintings of Sui and Burj temples, and Pahari miniature paintings. National and international scholars, writers, poets, and artists have drawn inspiration from both of these territories. Despite the abundance of natural, historical, and cultural resources, there is occasionally an atmosphere of unrest due to a variety of inhuman elements. I have witnessed many positive and negative changes in Jammu, where I was born. Every minor and major event in society has influenced and aided in the maturation of my thinking. These socio-political events served as inspiration for my artwork in an indirect, poetic, and symbolic manner. If you’re familiar with Jammu and Kashmir,
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