08-05-2025
Artist Amrish Malvankar and the constant state of becoming
Being part of an international event always brings a sense of validation, no matter how nonchalant or jaded one may profess to be. For Bengaluru-based artist Amrish Malvankar, who exhibited his works for the second time at the recently concluded World Art Fair in Dubai, the experience was nothing less than self affirming.
The artist says he 'always had an inclination to paint,' but since his family frowned on it as a career choice, he 'took up the next best option — architecture.' However, he continued to paint and his artworks piled up at his residence, until one day his wife Tarunjeet encouraged him to hold an exhibition.
In 2009, he held his first show at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, and there has been no looking back since. Amrish quit his job and took up the palette on a full-time basis.
'I generally work on compositional abstracts,' says Amrish. 'I experiment with colours, how each hue balances with another and how they play with human psychology. I started working with abstract figuratives in 2023.'
The high appreciation his work garnered at the World Art Fair in Dubai last year, encouraged Amrish to continue with his artistic explorations, and in the current series, he has made a foray into cubism.
'My main medium is always acrylic, but I also use other material such as charcoal and its powder as well oil pastels and pigments, to fine tune and balance out a piece.'
Also read: Check out these Indian artists showcasing their work at World Art Dubai 2024
Talking about his process, Amrish says, 'Architects are taught to be observant and architecture brings a discipline to your design and thought process. Whenever I see an interesting play of colours, such as in a sunset, I lay out all my paints and mix them on canvas, trying to capture them as best as I can.'
He adds that those are the initial steps and he keeps working on a piece, refining it as it evolves, till he feels it is finally complete.
The self-taught artist says one of things he enjoys the most at his shows are the observations of children. 'What they see in a work of art is something I would never have thought of. They have an amazing perspective, a fantastic imagination and the confidence to voice what they see.'
'I would love to paint a circle and a stick and have the confidence of a child to say it is a tree. I enjoy my interactions with them and always find them encouraging.'
