News Paper: Midday - Centre Stage

By: Janhavi Samant

Date: 2010-02-26

Happy Chappy

Nikhil's home truths

"Who says that art only has to be serious or sad? I like my art to be happy," says Nikhil Chaganlal. The artist, who will be exhibiting his latest work at Art Musings from tomorrow till March 30, talks about his next instalment of interior paintings, Intimate Vistas of The Interiors: 

Home sweet home

It is easy to do portraits or landscapes or abstracts. But painting interiors is a difficult genre. Every home is a complex environment; it reflects the personality of its owners and a host of memories. You can tell how a person is from the way he keeps his house.

Over the years (this is my third exhibition of interior paintings), I have realised that my buyers also like these paintings. Many of them have bought two-three of such paintings to put up on their walls. And I'm proud that my buyers don't buy my work just as investment but also as something positive they can experience everyday.

By the seaside

This art has a lot of elements from my past and present. All the homes that I have painted have an old world charm; I've grown up in this kind of space. My father collected a lot of art, he studied abroad, I grew up in a cosmopolitan society in Mumbai. I live by the seaside and I love watching it day and night.

So the sea is prominent in all these paintings. Some of the interior elements candlelabra, a bird cage, the shelves, are all from my house. Some of the elements are inspired from my memories of places and homes I have visited. Then there are my rubber slippers, my signature, in all the artworks. I love wearing rubber slippers; I wear them everywhere I go and that's why they are present in every picture.   

Labour of love

This time I am presenting 21 paintings on masonite board which combines acrylic with oil paints and chemical sealants used in the fishing boats industry where I stay in Alibaug. It took me 18 months to complete these works.

It is a very time-consuming process; I paint layer by layer where each layer needs to dry in the sunlight for a whole day. It gives my paintings a sort of three-dimension effect. On the surface, it is a just a happy picture of a home, but if you look long enough, you are sure to find hidden depths.

janhavi.samant@midday.com