Akshita Gandhi is an International Artist & Philanthropist. She is a photographer & multi-media artist based in Mumbai. Her artworks are investigative pieces that revolve around home and belonging while grappling with colonialism and the social and visual ramifications of India's contradictory capitalist structure. Akshita speaks about the transformative power of artistic practice oscillating between interfaces of obscurity/perceptibility and construction/de-construction. Branching out into the architectural space, her body immersive installations include Le cirque de la liberté (2020), a mise-en-scene inspired by the circus, and Dare to Break Free (2020), a commission by the Berlin-based music festival KaterBlau installations.
Tell us about your journey as artist. Where did it all begin?
- My journey began when I was a little kid, my calling has been extremely strong and I always knew I wanted to be an artist. Even as a child I’d say, “I want to spend my life creating art.” It wasn’t merely a hobby I enjoyed, it was a burning passion I could not deny and somehow always knew that. At the age of three, my mum sent me for art lessons and that’s how my love affair began. Under different teachers, I learned how to paint and draw, studied Higher Level IB Art in high school and went to an art institute in Dubai while studying BBA, Finance at my university. At the institute I enrolled for foundation courses and through the institute began exhibiting in 2015. I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember and somehow it all seems to be falling in place now.
How has your style changed over time?
- My life experiences, emotional state and evolution with time has played a vital role in shaping my practice. I went from oil on canvas to experimenting with different mediums. I went from realism to cubism to abstract expressionism, trying to amalgamate different genres in order to create my own distinct style. I created motifs, adopted the use of bold colours, which was different from my previous black and white palette and incorporated decoupage. Even my fluid series that began in the pandemic last year has completely changed in style. Over the printed photographs that I use as a backdrop, there’s more layering, detailing, usage of resin, gold leafing, crystals and the focus has shifted from the outcome of the work to the narrative.
There’s a lot of multi-media collage work on the market these days, how do you differentiate yours from the rest?
- I’ve always believed successful artists are those who have an idiosyncratic style and their works stand out. Over time through repetition of certain elements, which creates a sense of familiarity with the works I’ve tried to create my own signature style. Even if the medium differs from one piece to another the feel and overall aesthetic remains, which makes my work identifiable from most others.
What is the most challenging part about being a mixed media artist?
- As a mixed media artist I’m constantly exploring different mediums hence unsure of the end result. It’s difficult for me to plan how a piece might look when complete because I tend to use my mediums unconventionally. For instance, resin; most artists usually have a board on which they create resin works because the texture of resin when poured will spill. I pour it over my works on canvas rolls and it creates a 3D texture over the photograph uneven yet interesting and then I paint over it. The challenge is usually the unpredictability, as exciting as it might be, if a piece has taken months to make, it could be months down the drain if the end result is a catastrophe.
What do you wish you knew about the art industry before you got started?
- The art market is definitely one of the most exciting industries we have today. It’s like the stock market running on steroids! There’s something new to learn everyday. It’s subjective, vague and sometimes unexplained yet coherent in its incoherence. Cannot think of anything I wish I knew before I got started. All that I’ve learned has come with intense research, travel, meeting people from the industry and then applying all that to critically and analytically think about and better comprehend the art industry and how it functions.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
- Collaborating with the United Nations. This October and November we did two collaborations. My artwork was used for their posters, one was to celebrate the UN’s 76 anniversary, the other was used for a benefit concert in New York with the UN chamber of music society to support the village health works in East Africa. This piece was special because I painted “varli,” (a traditional Indian art form) women holding hands around the bark of a tree. This tribal art form was founded in Maharashtra to depict village life as early as 10th century A.D. To have an Indian art form up at such a prestigious event through my work, was definitely a high point in my career.
What inspired you to create “The Journey” Series?
- Journeys features reworked photographs of transport hubs, the Bahnhof in Zurich, and stations in Mumbai, as points of departure. In 2018, while traveling, I found inspiration in the idea of movement and change, questioning and exploring the concept of home and belonging. By obstructing, or building, a path with layered paint and collages, I tried to explore the complexities, contradictions and the strengthening elements of journeying. These works combine the concepts of reality, home, myth, and emotion using photographs as a visual reference. Further introspecting mythology in explaining belonging; in ancient Indian mythology gods constantly interact with each other: Shiva destroys, Brahma creates, and Vishnu preserves. For instance, my piece Journey XI reimagines veering from lust and desire to detach from worldly things, a concept deeply rooted for “Shaivites,” a sect who worship Shiva in Indian mythology. In contrast, reverberating, “Painfully Concealed Silence” portrays passion. At a time of large protests and civil unrest around the world, post-coloniality, and intensity in my personal practice, my works try to evoke both departure and arrival.
What feelings or reactions do you hope to arouse in people who view your work? Are you ever surprised by reactions that you get?
- I want them to feel, simply feel. It could be anything that the piece reminds them of. Of course ideally I’d like my audience to be awestruck and sit in front of my work for hours trying to decipher it through their lenses however even if they cringe in disgust, that will suffice too. As long as it evokes something from within. The worst thing for an artist is to have his/her audience stare blankly with indifference and walk away. The most important reactions I’ve gotten are; one was from an American filmmaker. Her husband was suffering from depression and she bought a photograph that reminded her of a happier time with him and a few months later she told me it helped albeit in a small manner, heal, because he’d smile everyday looking at it. In 2019, when I was showing in Miami, a woman stopped and stared at my light box and began to tear up. It reminded her of a moment she had finally made peace with a traumatic childhood incident. It’s so wonderful to connect with people who resonate with your art on such a deep level.
What is your creative process like? How do you start a project, how many hours does it take, how many iterations etc.
- Once the photograph is printed on canvas, I instinctively start working on it with fluid paint and randomly begin to spill. Through designs and different mediums I find a way to connect the fluid paint and solid structures on the photographs. With my photographs, I go around town taking pictures, usually at night and then short list a few and re work them until I feel they’re complete. It could take a few months until I believe a piece is complete sometimes even over a year but I take a break from my work every now and then. After a few weeks I go back to it again and continue working on it.
What music do you like to listen to when you work?
- I love music and it’s an extremely important part of my creative process. I start my playlist even before I begin creating art. The genres range from Stromae (French rap) to Harry Belafonte, from Indian classical to techno, from Louis Armstrong to Solomon Grey. Pretty much just about anything that has the vibe I’m looking for depending on the piece I’m creating and mood I want to set.
What are you working on next? Any future plans or projects in the pipeline that we should look out for?
- I’m currently working on a photography series called “Pin code,” which investigates the rapid changes to Mumbai’s urban landscape in relation to its citizens. Through digital manipulation of colors, playing with repetition, and distortions, these works highlight the architecture and people who are erased through this process. These works explore contractions of stability and instability within image and memory, inviting the viewer to see the magic in everyday life as it is conveyed through details: rich patterns, laundry hanging on a line, or a child smiling. Moments of joy intermingle with eerie depictions in this series that serve to expand the scope of the photographic medium. I’m working on converting this into a 3D body immersive experience and expand the project further via different mediums.
What do you believe is a key element while creating a piece?
- Authenticity and how much it connects with you on a personal level. Works that are simply pretty can lack soul and it defeats the purpose of the work.
What’s the coolest art tip you’ve ever received?
- “Remember it is not necessary to be "artistic" to be a good artist. You want to be real and not loose the "story", Irena Hochman, one of the best art dealers of our time and my mentor.
In terms of supplies, what are your go-to brands and what is one tool you can’t live without?
- My white posco uni ball marker, my paintbrushes - I have three from Serbia (from a local brand) they come with me wherever I go! My black uni ball and manga markers, a little sketch book and white paint from Windsor and Newton.
