By: Anuka Basu
Location: Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, USA
Medium: Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
About the Artist - Anuka Basu
My journey as an artist began years back. I grew up in a household surrounded by books, music and a love for art, in a beautiful town in Assam called Digboi. I was fascinated with my natural surroundings and would scribble in my drawing pad for hours. My father encouraged me and nurtured my interest in visual arts. He sent me to Artist Chandan Nandi, who was my guru and teacher while growing up. I completed five years of learning art under his tutelage, in affiliation with Rabindra Bharati. During this time, I participated in various art competitions and exhibits, and also won the “National Camel Championship”.
In between, life took over, and I drifted away from my passion, while I completed my Masters in Literature, acquired my Diploma in Mass Communication, and entered the world of Advertising. This is when I got interested in digital art. I shifted to the USA soon after and got a certification in Web Designing. I realized within a short span that I missed my conversations with the canvas. I joined the Visual Art Center of New Jersey and continued learning and exploring different art forms. I attended various workshops including Encaustic and Mixed Media.
I first exhibited my art at the Visual art gallery in NJ a couple of years back. This was followed by “Art All Night” exhibit in Trenton, New Jersey. After my father passed away, I decided to seriously follow my passion, to pay homage to his memory. He was my biggest fan and critic and wanted me to pursue my art seriously. I also got an invite to exhibit my art at the prestigious “Nehru Art Center”. That was a wonderful experience.
When I sketch or paint, I feel an innate connection to him. I am a free-spirited artist and I seek inner fulfillment through my art. My conversations with the canvas or my sketch pad is personal and immensely therapeutic for me. The brush is a means of expressing myself. My artwork is an insight of my vision, an expression of my emotions, and my relationship with the world around me. Once I start a particular piece, it becomes a living breathing experience for me. I always feel that I can do more, add more. My subject varies from nature to any form or object that inspires me. I work with oil, acrylic and mixed media. I also love to do sketches.
Since my art is so personal I don’t really adhere to a theme and neither do I paint keeping a particular set of audience in mind. I only hope that my work resonates with every individual audience and touch their hearts, minds and souls.