Architect-turned artist Amrish Malvankar, who recently featured his paintings in a group show in Galley Five Forty Five, is now set to display his latest series of abstract paintings titled “Brahmand”.
The concept behind the series this time, he says, is the flow of energy. “The first painting in the series,” explains Amrish, a graduate of the J.J. School of Architecture, “addresses universal energy. It’s the transference of the spirit, where the spirit is shown glowing out into white light.”
The next painting is called “Womb”. “It shows the new life coming into the world. If you stand in front of the painting you will be able to see the baby in the womb.”
The series also includes a set of smaller paintings where he works with “energy in flowing form”. “Abstracts give me freedom. If I do a figurative work, I’m defining it. I want people to imagine more even after I finish the painting. When I tell you what it is, for instance, if I title my painting as ‘womb’ you will look at it like that. But I want you to sit there and find the movement and the baby and that will be your interpretation. I keep my work open to interpretation.”
At the same time, Amrish finds that colours play an important role in his work. “If you see some of my paintings, they appear to be just flashes of colour. But every colour leads to an emotion. And that’s what I want the viewer to feel,” he explains. “When viewers look at a painting, I want them to enjoy it from their perspective. I don’t want it to be a sad painting or a happy painting, the painting should be enjoyed according to your moods. When you walk into a gallery or into your house where you have a painting, it should refresh you. You may be able to see it differently every time because you come in from the outside and each time, you are in a different mood.”
Essentially, the energies that Amrish talks about, as he describes, are simply moods and each colour depicts a particular mood, which is then felt by the audience from their unique or individual perspective.
Influence of architecture
Amrish has been a practicing architect for more than a decade and it’s only recently that he has phased out his practise to become a full-time artist. But he finds that architecture has influenced his thinking about painting, even if it’s abstract painting.
“Architects are trained to observe and study everything around and I’m channelizing this into art, though it’s not preconceived. I just look at the blank canvas and whatever thoughts I’m having come out onto the canvas. Everyday, depending on my thoughts, the painting keeps developing. And I don’t usually have a result in mind.”
So it takes him nearly a fortnight to complete on painting. “As an architect, I always picture the painting on the wall, those thoughts keep running at the back of my mind. But painting is my first passion. When it starts it’s just splashes of colours mixing on canvas. I don’t use palettes,” says Amrish who has been painting since childhood.
Amrish hopes to become famous someday. “But all I want is for people to enjoy my art and I want my art to be affordable.” “Brahmand” will be on view at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road, from March 20 onwards until March 26. For details, visit www.amrishmalvankar.com.
