Pallavi Shankar is an artist from Bengaluru, who's using her art to deal with the uncertainties of life. Her art doesn't adhere to a singular form but flows through her in various styles and forms. She dabbles in both traditional and digital media like acrylic paints, watercolours, black micro-tip pens, charcoal pencils and 2D sketches. Her art incorporates ideas inspired by everyday randomness and has the ability to make the viewer feel both comfortable and vulnerable at the same time. We talk to her about her work:
What’s your background?
I’m a typical Bangalorean. I have a very limited attention span. That’s when my mom decided to introduce me to art. I was maybe three years old or younger when sheets of paper and crayons were thrown at me, I’ve been in love since. I’m mostly a self-taught artist. I also learned a lot by just observing my mum while she made art. Currently, I’m an architecture student trying to survive the academic pressure, while art is the only thing that keeps me going.
What message does your work aim to give? What themes do you like to focus on?
There’s one quote by Steve Jobs that resonates with me and has for the longest of time - “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Someday, I’d like my art to reach out to the world, and maybe in some way make people feel comfortable yet uneasy. I want people to feel that they belong and that they aren’t the only ones feeling whatever it is that they’re feeling. I want to reach a proficiency where my art speaks to people soul to soul. My art speaks for all my feelings and experiences, art is my therapy. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to put words together and express myself, art simplifies everything for me. What themes do I like to focus on? Honestly, I don’t know how to answer this, because I don’t see a constant style that runs through my art pieces. I’m open to anything that comes my way.
What are you working on currently?
I’ve been trying to do portraiture study using digital software, and I'm in the process of discovering my style. I’m also working on a project, "Mars Calling Sketch the Future" hosted by Archdais. It's an illustration of what life on Mars would be like.
Which are the current art world trends you are following? What art do you most identify with?
I don’t follow any particular art world trend. I love observing details and studying a particular piece in-detail, be it painting, a mural, or a sculpture. I don’t have a specific style I identify most with, because I believe art is subjective and can be expressed in any form. I love looking at all the possibilities people come up with while working on something. The world of art is vast and I’d love to see what people are going to create.
What is integral to the work of an artist?
The thought process, every single thought that goes into a piece makes a difference. And paying attention to those details is very important. Implying the same and amplifying it is the next step, you could use any style or any form to showcase your thoughts.
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you? What is an artistic outlook on life?
There have been quite a few situations where I’ve wanted to deal with myself, without being a burden to the people around me, while these life events drove me to make art, it got way too easy for me to express my emotions and what I was genuinely feeling on the inside. We're all living in a mystery drama. We most often have no idea of what’s going to happen the next minute. So I guess we gotta’ keep doing what we do to make every moment count. We gotta’ keep thriving to create something that could move people.
Have you displayed your work anywhere for the public?
My first art gig was at Nevermind in Indiranagar, until then I’d just create art myself. I felt like it was time for me to put my work out and spread it to as many people as I could. I’ve been displaying my art on Church Street most weekends, and it has been one of the greatest experiences ever. People stopping and taking a look at my work makes a huge difference to me. I thoroughly enjoy having conversations with strangers, it has opened me up to so many more perspectives and portals.
What is your dream project? Professionally, what is your goal?
I want to have a gallery of my own by the ocean. I’ve worked on a portable art gallery as part of a small assignment in my architecture school, and I hope that I’ll be able to bring it to life someday. I want to make as much art as I can for people and to see how it makes a difference to them and would love to see how my art could help someone grow into the person that they wouldn’t have imagined.