Art for her is an exploration of the self. City-based artist Sajitha Shankar, whose journey as an artist has spanned three decades, today finds a lot of clarity in her art and her thoughts, courtesy meditation where she draws her energy from. “I am like a calm sea now,” she says.
Sajitha recently won the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant of $15,000. “I am happy and very honoured,” says the artist, who calls the grant her ‘Vishukaineetam’ for she got the good news on Vishu day. “The rigorous selection process is a recognition of my dedication over the past three decades,” says Sajitha.
When applying for the New York-based foundation’s grant, given to those with “recognisable artistic merit” and “demonstrable financial need,” Sajitha had the preservation of her works in mind. She had a studio in the Cholamandalam Artists’ Village during her years there, but here she stores her works in the kitchen loft. Her studio at Kallar near the city is a sanctuary where she can paint, but not preserve her works. “I had asked the foundation for $15,000. I need a safe space for my works, especially in such a humid climate. I also make huge paintings. These also need to be accommodated there.”
Sajitha continues to work on her much-written-about Alterbodies series. It was when Sajitha was working on the Akka Mahadevi series that she entered into a spiritual zone. The exploration of femininity in the Archetype series and her quest for the divine with oneself gradually led her to Alterbodies.
“Alterbodies is about exploring alternative possibilities of the body, beyond sexuality. In it, I have experimented with my body, using it as a form,” says Sajitha. Her search took her to Indian philosophy and she started looking for a guru. She recently found one who is guiding her in meditation. “Meditation is biological. This is helping me explore the Alterbodies series.”
