I want to add new things to art: Akbar Padamsee

Akbar Padamseersquos apartment at Prabhadevi has no airs nothing that tells you the man who lives here is one of the most respected and sought after artists in India today His wife Bhanumati an art historian works quietly in the bedroom The household help who opens the door directs me to the study where Padamsee is seated on a chair wearing a white Tshirt and pyjamas The barefoot octogenarian is a far cry from the image of a worldrenowned artist whose works often fetch more than Rs 1 crore at premier auction houses like Sothebyrsquos and Christiersquos Akbar Padamsee at his residence Pic Satyajit Desai As we start talking I have to strain my ears to hear his mellow voice But soon Irsquom riveted by the story of his life and how he authorised six of his best works to be made into Giclee canvas prints to be on display for the first time Giclee canvas printing is a technological art form that creates highend prints on imported canvasses treated with a special veneer Herersquos what he shared with SUNDAY MiD DAY What prompted you to convert six of your masterpieces into Giclee prints and showcase them for the first time Actually it was Penny Patel partner of India Fine Art Gallery who approached me with this idea Penny says the works of other artists that have been converted into Giclee prints earlier have got an amazing response Converting any artistrsquos paintings into prints is an expensive process as you can do it with the works of only top calibre artists who use vibrant colours Itrsquos a cumbersome method where you have to get the shades right This process took us a year and a half Going back to your childhood how did you get involved in painting My father was a businessman so I would often go to his office and draw on the pages of his account books Then when I was in class four I used to enjoy watching my drawing teacher Mr Shirsat paint Soon he started coming home on Sundays to teach me I joined the JJ School of Art after matriculation By the time I graduated artists like SH Raza FN Souza and MF Husain had formed the Mumbai Progressive Group in 1948 Raza who had come to our college to deliver a lecture and I became friends He asked me in a light vein whether I would accompany him to France where the French government had invited him to showcase his works Both of us exhibited together in Paris in 1952 I showed solo in India for the first time at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai in 1954 In 1954 you faced state censorship on your nude paintings Today artistes in various fields are facing censorship How do you feel about the current state of affairs Perversion lies in the mind of the person who raises an objection against your works There was a lot of hullabaloo about my nude paintings thanks to Dr Morarji Desai later newspapers reported that Desai would go to night clubs in Paris during his trips to France What do you say about this kind of hypocrisy As artists we are involved in our works But in todayrsquos scenario people who are imposing censorship actually crave publicity You recently showcased a series of new metascapes mirrorlike images inspired by the works of Kalidasa at the India Art Fair How did you get inspired by Kalidasa and coined the term metascapes The paintings originated when I was studying Abhigyanam Shakuntalam by Kalidasa in Sanskrit I came across the concept of the two controllers of time mdash the sun and the moon I was so impressed by the verse that I wanted to paint it But that was impossible so I painted all the elements and coined the term metascapes as they are metaphorical landscapes What prompted you to learn Sanskrit and how did it influence your work I started learning Sanskrit in 1956 when I had to teach students at JJ School of Art I studied it for 15 years Earlier I would see Indian miniatures and landscapes as a foreigner but after learning the language it helped me understand them better You are a painter a sculptor and also a photographer How have each of these media influenced your work in the other field and your overall personality I have always wanted to learn new things Through sculpting I learnt how to handle clay and use my fingers as much as my eyes Painting is twodimensional while sculpting is threedimensional you see it in every aspect I started photography as I couldnrsquot find models for paintings at JJ School of Art and got hold of an agent who found me film extras Initially I used their pictures for drawings but then gradually started enjoying photography I learnt how the human body could be transformed with the way you work with light Today when I paint a nude it helps me take a different dimension In your career spanning six decades you have been fiercely experimental and individualistic When I want to do something new I change the medium Also why should we copy from the past I want to add new things to art Your wife is an art historian Is she involved in your work I incorporate her comments about my work if I feel they are valid I go by insight What kind of a relationship do you share with your daughter Raissa who stays in Paris She works with the cultural affairs ministry of France and organises art exhibitions We often exchange notes on the phone about what is happening in the art scene across the globe For a worldclass artist you lead a very simple life I have been brought up in a frugal manner We owned a house at Lonavla Whenever we would go there during my childhood my father would travel by first class while my mother my siblings and I would take the general class He would say lsquoYou have to earn itrsquo How do you relax after a long hard day I enjoy watching Sa Re Ga Ma Pa as it gives a platform to new singers to showcase their talent I wish something similar would happen in art But I doubt how artists would take to it as they resent being taught They feel their individuality is affected What changes do you see in art today Todayrsquos young artists make art especially for the market as they want quick money and fame Also now art is available through various mediums Itrsquos too early to say what the future beholds we can only wait and watch Along with the Giclee canvas prints Akbar Padamseersquos original works of oil on canvas and lithographs will be showcased in a solo exhibition at the India Fine Art Gallery Tardeo from February 20 to March 4 u00a0