Jayshree Shah

Lives and works in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Artist statement

An Artist's Statement After having a successful stint in advertising for 25 years as an art-director, I started learning and practicing fine art from Rachna Sansad college(Mumbai) in my mid-forties. Driven by inner experiences, I found fine art as personal liberation. I enjoy creating symbolist art which have a surrealistic vocabulary. My inner void enables me to draw upon mythologies and archaic language. My interest in Philosophy (Shree Raman Maharshi) and Psychology (Carl Jung, Alan Watts) helps me in entwining concepts into my art. In my practice, I use two main characters; One is an Indian miniature style woman, and the other, a mannequin. Both are a part of me, they help me narrate my personal interpretations. My work has a feminine approach, but I think of myself as a human soul schooling on Earth, without any gender bias. Through my paintings, I enjoy building intrigue in the minds of viewers by bringing in their own narratives. My artworks are often accompanied with small poems, which helps build their context. I focus more on the concepts rather than treatment of the art. Being a graphic designer for many years, I still use flat colors in the background. My brush strokes are quite rigid with minute details which lack the impulsive boldness. But it is wholly and unabashedly me with my individual style. A combination of oil and acrylic colors help me achieve the desired results on canvas/linen. I also cannot resist from showing my political views through my digital...

Artwork