Artist Rithika Merchant, showcasing her works in town, talks about her artistic inspirations

Folklore on canvas

Artist Rithika Merchant, showcasing her works in town, talks about her artistic inspirations

What kind of folklore have you grown up on, since you mention that you paint characters from your personal folklore? My interest in folklore came mostly from books. One of my favorite books as a child was an illustrated book called Gwinna, which is about a girl with wings who is led by a small white owl who teaches her to fly. I also loved Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights. We had a version with these intricate illustrations by Gustaf Tenggren which were very inspiring to me. Both these books showed me how paintings can illustrate a whole story or concept, which is something I still think about when I am making art today. Will there be a theme for your upcoming exhibition? Is there a common thought running through the collection? Most of my creatures are hybrids. I love the idea of two creatures gently merging or emerging, embodying the duality that is within everything in nature. I also explore the idea of many selves in conversation with one another. Tell us about your hip-hop visual interpretation... It is a really challenging and interesting project to work on since it took me so far outside of the usual themes of my work. I have been selected as a contributor to an art book titled The Art Album. It is in collaboration with Art on Dekz and Russell Simmons. The book is about showcasing the art behind the lyrics of hip-hop. The contributors are mix of established artists, recent college graduates and art students. We were each assigned a song and asked to do a visual interpretation of the lyrics and feeling of the music. What do you think about the Indian art market? I am really new to the art market, so I am still learning a lot and exploring. I think it is growing at a really fast pace and the interest in contemporary art has grown so much in the last few years. I think there is so much varied talent out there especially among younger emerging artists who are working with new mediums, and it's really nice to see these newer artists getting the opportunity to show their work. What inspires you to paint? Who are your idols? Nature and animals mostly. The shapes and fluidity found in both are so inspiring. I also really like botanical illustrations. Artists who inspire me are Gond Artist Bhajju Shyam, and Salvador Dali — especially his early illustrations.