We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Indra Persad Milowe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Indra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
My interest in art was inspired through nature, still life and design. I adored my St Augustine Girls’ High School art teacher, Mrs. Helga Mohammed from Madrid, Spain, who she was married to a Trinidadian.
On my first day in her class at age 12, written on her blackboard was: “Art is not only a painting hanging up on a wall; art is in every aspect of your daily life.” These words have been stuck in my head ever since. My paintings were chosen for the high school’s yearbook for two consecutive years. At age 15, I painted from nature – orchids on a branch. At age 16, I did a still life – a display of an apple, pear, and a bunch of grapes. Those two paintings and all the incredible reviews that came with them lifted my confidence in my artwork.
I want my art to inspire myself and the viewers! And when I am not painting, I see the world, the whole universe as art. Mother Nature is the greatest artist! She endlessly fascinates me with her daily sunrise and sunset paintings. Her endless creations all around me: the stars, the planets, the mountains, the seas. The delights of each season, all high art: spring’s multicolored flowers, summer’s lush greenery, fall’s bright spectacular leaves and winter’s quiet white landscapes. Endless art all around me. I am inspired to add a little of my own- what a joy it is!
As Mrs. Mohammed taught me, “There is an art to living this life!” So, I have studied interior decorating. I have immersed myself in the culinary arts. Above all is the art of relating to my fellow humans and all sentient beings of this spectacular planet!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I travel and study cultures to stimulate my artistic ideas. I also enjoy bringing this knowledge to the viewer as many of my paintings have a story behind them! For example, I have been to Ubud, Bali twice. This is the cultural capital of the island.
I arrived in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday 19th of October, 2022, after flying for two days from Boston, MA, USA. I was greeted by Jaedy, holding a sign with my name. His father, Rudi, owns Air Ubud, the Artist Residency properties. Rudi was waiting for us in the car. I was warmly welcomed, my suitcases were wheeled into the car and they offered me a bottle of water to drink. I took in all the sights on the way to Ubud, despite it being dark and the fact that I was jet lagged and exhausted.
We finally arrived at the garage and they took out my suitcases. I could not understand what was going on. It turns out that the car could not go any further because of the rice fields. They had arranged for three scooters to come and meet us there, each one carrying one suitcase. I refused to climb onto a scooter so Putu, Rudi’s wife, walked together with me until we arrived at Air Ubud. My suitcases were delivered to my room which was quite large and comfortable. I had to ask them to keep the two cats away from trying to constantly sneak in, by lying in front of my door. I finally unpacked my carry-on case and decided to take care of the rest the following day. I could not sleep because I was so tired; it took a while to relax from the exhaustion.
There were chickens crowing in the morning and dogs barking. I pushed my earplugs in further and was able to doze off for a few hours before breakfast. Breakfast was an absolute delight every morning at 9 AM cooked by Wayan Nano. It consisted of a vegetable omelette, a piece of toast, a potato pancake, a fruit bowl and two cups of coffee. This kept me going until the afternoon. I walked everywhere every day, at least two miles. I was determined not to waste any of my precious time and just explore more and more of everything on my four-page list of “to do’s.” The city looks very old and it looks like it needs a good paint job. However as soon as you take a peek into the alleyways, you are in for the most pleasant surprise. Spirituality is everywhere. As soon as you enter each alleyway, there is a sculpture of Lord Ganesh. I mean absolutely everywhere! The Balinese believe that Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles and negativity. I was quite taken aback by not seeing any elevators or handicapped ramps anywhere. There are steps everywhere and you need good stamina. Even though my bedroom to my bathroom had a step, I got used to it afterwards. Most tourist areas in the center of the town have loose or broken bricks; you have to be very careful while walking. It was also like that in Buenos Aires, Argentina, therefore I forgive Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
The foot traffic is non-stop especially after an evening show. They need more crosswalks or lights for there are so many cars and scooters going both ways. I was taught that if you hold out an umbrella, they will get the message and slow down. They have ride and food delivery service by Grab and Gojek – their Lyft and Uber. I was determined not to go to a restaurant twice despite them all being incredibly stunning. I never paid more than $13.00 for a main course, dessert and a bottle of water. A lot of places serve breakfast, lunch and dinner which is good because no breakfast is served at Air Ubud on Sundays. They are supposedly closed because people go to the Temple or sleep late. There were two dinners and karaoke evenings which were fun but 11pm was my limit. They went on until 2 – 3 AM. I was interested in culture, the other artists were all going clubbing or the beach or waterfalls. I was looking for inspiration from Hindu/Balinese art. I experienced more than I ever have anticipated. I was always going from one place to another and became the “Residency Directory” for best places to eat and to go for culture. The owners of Air Ubud asked me for a list of everything I did, for recommendations to share with “newbies”. I was always on time for breakfast at 9AM sharp.
It rained very heavily at least once a day. A raincoat and umbrella does not do the job. I preferred the dryer times and the heat; at least I could get around and take my sweat with me! All the streets were well lit. I got used to walking in the dark with my flashlight because taxis cannot go beyond the rice fields. If I stayed at a resort, there is no way I could have had all this cultural exposure. I like eating with my fingers on banana leaves, sitting on pillows and wearing sarongs. I think they are way more sexy than a sari. I was fascinated by the men’s fashions; they are unique and colorful. I am sure more ideas will bubble up; the highlights are on my Instagram page.
Canang sari offerings are everywhere. A small portion of a meal is offered to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa as a form of thanking for the peace given to the world; it is the simplest daily household offering. Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa is the Balinese Hindu name of the One Eternal Cosmic Mind or Principle, equivalent to Brahman, from which all else manifests. These offerings are done once or twice a day and a lot of times they are eaten by dogs, cats or birds. However, I was taken aback once seeing a snail climbing up and eating one all up! Bali is known for its beaches and waterfalls where the tourists are found. But the city of Ubud, its cultural capital, abounds with temples with exquisite sculptures. There are also splendid museums and art galleries. Concerts featuring some of the nine traditional classic dance forms of Bali, such as Kecak and Barong, are beautiful to watch. Bali is home to several types of traditional gamelan music. Of course, after you are cultured-out, there is great shopping. When you are starving, fine gourmet dining awaits you. Some outdoor restaurants overlook the expansive rice fields.
I had the pleasure and delight of being invited to the five-day Odalan festival that occurs every few months. It is extremely moving to absorb. The gist of what is happening here is that the Balinese are honoring the deities that rule over the temple by giving them a myriad of offerings, performances of vocal music, dance and gamelan music. They invite them down from their abode on Mount Agung to partake in the activities. I had to get a lace kebaya top to wear to all ceremonial activities. I bought a red one to match all my sarongs. Kebaya has become Indonesia’s most proud national attire for women. Each province and area has its
own distinct kebaya style. Kebaya Bali is especially unique and distinctive compared to other areas in Indonesia. Its uniqueness lies in the colors of kebaya used for different religious ceremonies. The statues of the deities housed in the Royal Palace are taken by a large procession to the town’s temple where they are worshiped for five days. Then they are removed and returned. The level of commitment of the musicians, drummers and everyone is wonderful to watch as they put their everything in these proud moments. There were more crowds on the weekends than during the week. I was invited to join everyone for lunch and felt like I belonged to that community.
The decorations were incredibly beautiful; everyone was dressed in their finest. I went out and bought six more sarongs! I was invited to a Balinese wedding by Rudi and his wife Putu. I felt so accepted when I was invited to take photographs with the bride and groom and to join everyone for lunch. I had been shopping in Ubud Market for an ikat wall hanging and spent quite a while in this shop chatting with the lovely woman owner. Ikat weaving refers to yarns that are first dyed before they are woven into patterns. The weaver has to precisely dye the threads then align them into the correct pattern, a very complicated process. On top of that, there are three different ikat weaving techniques!
One week later, I was walking around Ubud Market and saw that same shop owner again. She came to chat with me and wanted to know when I was leaving. She invited me to her “Granddaughter’s three-month Baby Ceremony”. I was ecstatic about the invitation and blown away to see the level of devotion, love and support that was showered by everyone to this baby. Lunch was delicious, I tried everything including the roasted pig. I also got a box of treats to take back with me. It was attended by a lot of people whom I had met in the temple and at the wedding. It is a small town, everyone knows everyone else, they all knew my name and wanted to know when I would return to Ubud!
My first week I bought six puppets from a store in Ubud Market from an old lady. She was very sweet so whenever I walked past once or twice a day, I would stop to check in on her. I went to say goodbye to her before I left, she had a beautifully wrapped gift for me to travel safely, until we could meet again. I look back at everything I did and it was the best three weeks of my life. I have learnt that I have touched so many lives here and they have done the same to me. On my walk back on my last day, another woman stopped me asking if I did not remember her. I honestly did not. She said that she had shown me how to put one hand on another and had sprinkled holy water on me. I was so inattentive that I did not notice her, but she noticed me!
Of course! There was also a smiling lady from the fruit stand. She knew exactly what fruits I ate for dinner every evening and saved my supply to pick up daily! Yes! I will miss their sweet smiles and pranams. Washed faces, hair tied back, flowers in their hair, matching kebaya and sarong. Hinduism in Ubud is as sacred as in India or Trinidad. To me, the Balinese are all very sincere. I love how everyone takes their religion so seriously, whether inside the temple but especially outside in daily life.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I enjoy sharing my travels and the cultures I have studied through my art. This is best seen through my present art collections: Festivals and Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies; My Journey to Morocco; Beautiful Ubud, Bali. See samples of this art on my website: www.indrapersadmilowe.com
I also love doing art in the public sphere. I have been hired a couple of times by my city to paint in public spaces in the historic district. I greatly enjoy using vibrant colors to catch the viewers’ eyes and to lift their spirits. For example, so far I have painted and enlivened a dull utility box as well as 22 weather-beaten boring black bollards on Artist Row. These historic bollards were there to park your horse; now they are a phantasmagoria of brilliant colors!
The resurrected utility box that I painted was used as a backdrop for a television program “Man vs. Food.”
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Government and private support are crucial for the arts to thrive. I have been helped by our local Senior City Planner to apply for grants for public art projects. I am very grateful for that! I am also very appreciative to the Government of Trinidad & Tobago for the opportunity to regularly exhibit in their public Rotunda Gallery in the Red House, which is the Parliament building. Every month, they invite artists to enter work on a specific topic, such as art relating to International Womens’ Day.
I have also found support in a private online gallery, “Art Impact International,” run by the noted artist Caroline Goodridge. She does rotating exhibitions on different topics.
I also am grateful to many of the local and beautiful public libraries in the Northshore Boston area. They have given me the opportunity to display many of my paintings, usually about 20, at one or two month exhibitions. I always put information sheets at the exhibits which explain the background and contents of each painting. Thus I enjoy bringing delight to both the eye and the mind of the viewer!
Artist residencies also support the arts! I have been privileged to attend Mauser Ecohouse in Parrita, Costa Rica a few years ago. I painted a huge mural on their main building by the entrance hallway. I also contributed a painting to a local couple who own a restaurant who delight locals and tourists not only with their great food but with their pet goat! I painted the goat of course!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.indrapersadmilowe.com
- Instagram: indra.persad.milowe
- Facebook: Indra Persad-milowe
Image Credits
Joshua Satyam Milowe George Milowe