Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amita Bhatt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amita, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I think most artists will agree that art making involves taking risks…every day. Whether these are risks in their craft or their broader intellectual belief systems, most artists know that no good art has come out of safe practise. In that sense we are risk takers by nature. The world wouldn’t have their Pollacks and Picassos and Dalis had these artists not taken risks.

Many of us are idealists and dreamers who are ready to go to great lengths in order to give voice to our ideals. In these times when nationalism and right wing thought is gaining traction globally and where platforms for the “other” are seemingly shrinking, it has become ever more important to continue the fight. What ever the cause, one always sees artists trudging along, fighting for their beliefs in the face of great oppression and often great personal risks. There’s a reason why autocrats historically have weeded out artists (and their art) first.

I have dedicated my entire professional life to the exploration of conflict and the role identity plays in geo/socio/political violence. This hasn’t always been easy, especially when the world continues to be fatigued by on-going wars and political turbulence. But irony and humour allow me to navigate through sticky situations. My work is filled with hope and relies tremendously on mankind’s resilience and wisdom.

Amita, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a visual artist who paints and draws I find myself traveling along fault lines laid down by societies, governments, geo-political borders and most importantly along the grey areas of rights and wrongs. Many of the world’s conflicts are especially complex when we factor in personal and societal identities, religion etc.

There is great wisdom in world mythologies and I have often created my own, in an attempt to give form to and build narratives around difficult questions, ideologies, and philosophies.

My characters especially in the black and white oversized drawings are in a constant state of transformation and are signifiers of all the dimensions of human nature. They are tightly packed to form a highly charged and vibrating environment. The paintings on the other hand are brighter, calmer and more quiet.

I stand in the center of all these contradictions and dualities questioning my position in my own art as well as in the world I am trying to make sense of.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The ability to remain aligned with yourself and your belief systems, to be surrounded by bold, creative, imaginative people, to have the liberty to persevere and strive for a world that one imagines (or die trying ) is the greatest gift of all.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Please support your local art communities and organizations by investing your time, your money or both. Whether it’s attending performances or showing up at openings artists cannot do without the support of their larger communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Amitabhatt.info
• Instagram: amitabhatt_artist
• Facebook: Amita Bhatt
• Linkedin: amita-bhatt-visualartist
• Twitter: @amitabhatt

Image Credits
Amit Bhattacharya