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A Monk who Sold his Ferrari

Amit Ambalal has a monk like demeanour; perhaps a laughing monk. Born and brought up in a Gujarati business family, he could have been a successful business man. But he took the road of abdication for pursuing an artistic career. Amit draws his subjects from the life near around and he sees it with a pinch of satire. During his solo show at the Gallery Espace, New Delhi, Rikimi Madhukaillya caught up with him for an extensive interview. Excerpts from it:

Rikimi Madhukaillya: Can we start with the journey of the artist via a textile businessman and hobby painter?
Amit Ambalal:  I was interested in arts and crafts since childhood. I have got atmosphere and inspiration to paint, but of course as a hobby not as a profession.  My mother was an artist; she used to learn traditional painting techniques from Chaganlal Jadav. He used to come to our home every weekend. Then it was like drawing inspirations from Santiniketan intellectuality. People used to spend time in art activities. As a child I was send to Shreyas school owned by Sarabhai family. Leena Sarabhai used to let the children explore their interests. She used to give me a board behind the class where I could draw as much as I wanted to while the others in the class used to study. Leena was so impressed and excited seeing my works that she had told my parents about my activity. But it had a reverse effect in my case. My parents got so scared that (I might turn out to be an artist) they had taken me out of that school and send to a conventional school.
But being the elder son of a business family I had to (though reluctantly) run my inherited business. So to delay what I had to do, I kept on doing different degrees. I have bachelors in Law, Commerce and Arts as well. But finally my artistic mind had to be captured in the four walls of an unromantic office. My painting practice was sided for weekends. I used to go for outdoors with Chagan bhai. At office often I used to feel that most of the people looked alike there with their uninteresting talks. I still remember, I used to scribble and make their portraits while they were busy telling me something very important. Finally one fine day, in my thirties, I decided that I was not going to do business and told my father about it. He agreed and sold off the business. AND I BECAME FREE TO HAVE ALL MY TIME TO DO PAINTING.
RM:  Contemporary approach to tradition via the popular traditions, the historical Rajasthani Nathdwara devotional paintings and the human drama: these being the main themes of your works throughout your career, can you explain a bit about the choice of such varied areas?

AA: I believe a businessman is a labourer. In 1979 I stopped going to our business and in 1980, I had my first show. As I didn’t have a pleasant memory of business, I jumped into Arts with full devotion all of a sudden. I loved miniatures and their intricacies, so earlier onwards I used to collect miniatures. In mid 80’s I came across some Nathadwara paintings. I studied and wrote extensively on the incarnation and the Leela of Lord Krishna. A joyous play of colour and composition plays its own part in these paintings. Subject includes very humanly activities like gossip etc. These paintings are more near and that’s why more influential for me instead of some western or American Artwork.

I watch a lot of art. Even if you don’t want, masters always comes to your mind. I am flexible in by technique and method. As Picasso’s wife (the first one) once in answer to what technique Picasso used to have, said, “he doesn’t have one technique rather with each work he invents a new one.” Though not consciously influences come to me too and I believe that artist should have the freedom to do so.                  
RM:  In an earlier interview you have said that you don't decide what to paint before hand, as you paint something starts to grow inside that canvas, and that takes on the final form on the canvas. Do you find any connection to the psychological theories of Freud and Jung like the Surrealist and the Dadaist movements?
AA:  I have read these theories and know about these movements too. But as I told you earlier that is not a conscious effort to associate with them. It’s more of a passing influence on me, maybe. And specifically I paint from my surrounding. But rather than copying they are the product of my mind.
RM: Why did you start making sculptures? What is the relation between sculpture and painting for you? Like painting, do you have training in sculpture as well?
AA: From early in my career, I used to solve my painting’s problems with sculptures. I used to play with wax and give it the form I want in the painting, and then I would paint it on my canvas. Gradually sculptures appeared to me as an extension of my paintings. And I don’t have technical training in sculpture, for casting purposes I use assistance.  
RM: Tell us about your current show at Gallery Espace.
AA:  All these works are done during my last visit to Bali. This was my third visit to Bali as I really like the place. The modern mingled with the traditional life makes it stranger. The mythical creatures on their temple walls are some interesting subject. But the more interesting element which is a dominant factor in both its culture and performance is the dynamism of some minor creatures like monkey (hanuman), crows, insects etc.
RM: In one of your paintings in the exhibition, there are two identical men with lots of barking dogs around. The figure reminds me of Bhupen Khakar (How many hands do I need to love you?).
AA: You are right. We (me, A.Ramachandran, my wife and a few other artist friends) had discovered that the Balinese houses are decorated with two door guardians like their temples, which appeared to us almost like Bhupen’s works. And these dogs reminds us of a household, crossing which lots of dogs came out of the house and started barking at us. Then I realised that the phrase barking dogs seldom bite should be barking dogs do bite.
RM: And the grinning characters in your paintings? They seem to be angry!
AA: They are angry but not harmful. The onlooker doesn’t get scared seeing their anger but a kind of humour is created from their anger.
RM: What do you have to say about the growing Indian art market in the international scene? What is the future of it?
AA: I can see a very bright future for the Indian art. Indian art is appreciated very well internationally. And lots of younger people are making mark in the history. Even Indians are buying art today. But it hurts when somebody comes for a suggestion to INVEST in art. I tell them, always, “see art, love it, appreciate it, if you can, have it. But don’t invest on it.