Artist talks series, “Art from the heart”

With Guest Artist: Deval Ambani

On behalf of Pranjal Arts, Pranjulaa Singh conducted a behind the scenes interview with the artist, Deval Ambani from Obliq in the Artist talks series, “Art from the heart”. This interview covered insights into her personality, challenges faced as an artist, and her journey. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

P.S. Let’s start from the beginning. What inspired you to become an artist? When did you first decide that this is what you want to do?

D.A. Since Grade 9, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the creative art space. I pursued a Bachelors in Commercial Arts, from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. Through 5 years of intensive training in different aspects of art and design, the course focussed on Graphic Design, Communication Design /Advertising. Next, I joined an advertising agency through campus recruitment. I continued to work for various advertising firms for almost a decade. This experience was amazing as I was learning several skills on the job and working with different brands, conceptualizing and creating several award-winning campaigns that were very satisfying.

While still in advertising, I started playing with different materials and using them in innovative and unique ways. This led to the start of my career in designing and producing unique home décor accessories. Firstly, I did an exhibition in Mumbai and then went on to supply my products to various, popular home decor stores. And one thing led to another. I was continuously exploring materials and in the process developed a new style of painting that helped me express myself best, and my journey as an artist started.

“Enjoy the process and the ultimate result will automatically be magical.”

- Deval Ambani

P.S. What Inspired you to start painting and recognize yourself as a fine artist?

D.A.  I believe an artist is ever-evolving, growing, and maturing with experience in their approach towards different subjects. Being in the creative space also means experimenting with materials, giving birth to unconventional ideas. This is an organic progression. In keeping with the same thought, my experiments led me to paint. On one hand, I like creating home décor objects, and on the other hand, paint, brushes and the canvas fuel my soul.

My paintings are an expression of my inspiration drawn from nature. I strive to capture different aspects of it, like the colours, rhythm, and sheer beauty of the forest, desert, flowers, oceans, etc.

The play of light also entices me; it adds life to everything it touches.

P.S. What does Creation mean for you?

D.A. According to me, creation is magic, and being able to create is a blessing. I love creating something that has not been seen or experienced before. My process of creation starts with a blurred image in my mind and gradually takes shape on the canvas. Each stroke and each colour adds a different dimension to the artwork. The challenge is to know where to start and when to stop. And then magic happens!

P.S. How does your work help others?

D.A. My artworks are predominantly objects of nature, ranging from flowers, forests to butterflies, etc. Being in urban settings, we tend to lose our connection with nature. My artworks are an attempt to add life into any space by adding a splash of colour and bringing in calmness, harmony, and peace. It is in some sense therapeutic.

Based on the space and the desired look, I love to experiment beyond the canvas, painting on glass, laminate, tiles too. I also enjoy collaborating with Interior designers and Architects, bringing their vision for a certain space to life.

P.S. Tell us something about a recent project you did. Which has been your most exciting project so far?

D.A. In 2020, I launched a collection of paintings at D/code, Mumbai, a 2-day event with 40 participating brands and 10,000+ visitors. This Times Group event attracts the creative brains in the architecture, interior design, and art industry. While it's difficult for me to pick my favourite or the most exciting project, I think the one that is memorable for me is my Jodhpur project. I worked with the interior designer and didn’t have a chance to visit the site. The concept involved painting the various hues of the mountains on huge pieces of glass. Besides the painting itself, figuring out the technical details, working with an unknown team of contractors, the logistics and transportation were challenging and at the same time very satisfying.

P.S. What is your one message to new artists and designers who are just entering the field as professionals?

D.A. I have always looked at art as a process and a huge canvas with endless possibilities. The one thing that I would like to convey to budding artists would be that they should not let anything stop them, keep experimenting and enjoy the process. Because when the journey is joyful the destination will be magical.

ABOUT THE  “ART FROM THE HEART” SERIES:

Pranjal Arts walks down memory lane, connecting with Indian artists across the world. Through these conversations, we share a perspective into their journey, for the pleasure of new artists, art collectors and/or anyone interested in art. We discuss their struggles, learnings and observe the changes in their art practice. We love knowing the artists closely on candid conversation at a time in “Art from the Heart” Artist Talks series.

ABOUT DEVAL AMBANI: 

Founder and Principal Designer of Obliq.

Deval Ambani started her formal journey when she enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in Applied Art at Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. Immediately after graduation, she took a deep dive into the world of multinational advertising agencies such as FCB, Ulka, and Grey Worldwide. Next, she took some time to invest in her love for creating innovative décor products and that led her to the inception of Obliq – a platform that allowed her to create conceptually strong and finely executed works of art.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Original, handmade, Indian folk and contemporary art, Pranjal Arts is a collection of 200 paintings made by 70 different artists from India.
Pranjulaa Singh is a writer /curator and a Msc in Creative Industries Management from University of London. In the past, she has worked with organizations such as Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Museum of Everything, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage, Aura Art Development Pvt. Ltd, Camden Arts Center, and Folklore Pvt Ltd.

Stay posted for more interviews! You can keep a look out for the full interview on our YouTube channel here, to view more of Deval Ambani’s work, please visit https://obliqdesigns.com/