How are artists dealing with the deadly dance of Covid: A Zoom tete-e-tete

The Pothi team had a Zoom meeting with Abir artists to understand how they were negotiating the surge in covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown because of it. While they do have a positive outlook that the pandemic will eventually be tamed, the immediate reality of their lives have been thrown off kilter for now. While some have suffered from the virus is a direct fashion, others have had their artistic process thrown off by the virus.

Here are some of the views of the artists who were with us in the meeting:

Suvendu Bhandari: I have turned into a Covid volunteer

The situation is very bad here in Kolkata. There have been two deaths among my relatives as well. For now, I have turned into a volunteer. There is a huge shortage of oxygen cylinders here, although oxygen itself is in surplus. So, a community of volunteers engaged in self-help work has come together to track down leads for sourcing oxygen cylinders, verifying phone numbers of sources, finding nursing homes or oxygen beds where this would be available, and more. We are all working together and also trying to crowd-fund medicines and food to the doorstep of Covid-19 positive people under another initiative. Art work is on hold and I feel this is my duty right now, as it is needed for society and as a human being.

Kanika Shah: Often, I feel scared to pick up the brush

Last month, I did have the opportunity early on to visit Goa with some friends, as we had made bookings in advance and my husband has a rare holiday from work. However, we ensured that we remained to ourselves, visited uncrowded beaches, and followed all safety measures. While coming back, we were ready to stay isolated from our family members — and then I discovered that my in-laws had already tested positive. I did my best to take care of them, and they are fine now. But the fact of the matter is that the situation is not in our control. It is a crisis all around. Just recently, artist Vishal Joshi had gotten in touch with me after many years, suggesting my name for an art camp. When I came back from Goa, I heard he is no more. The shock left me sleepless for days. I could barely reach out to his bereaved wife. Another friend from college who lives in Pune — both her parents are in Baroda and her father is positive and admitted to a hospital. She cannot even travel here due to the lockdown, and because she has an eight-month-old kid. But I am doing what I can and helping out by providing meals to her family every day. It is the least I can do. Even at our art camp, all measures were taken — participants were tested rigorously and we all had separate rooms. But again, this was in the first week of March, before the true escalation of the second wave began. As things started getting worse, the fear has become palpable. Friends have also tested positive. One cannot help feeling low. Often, I feel scared to pick up the brush, wondering what kind of art will come out. One has to work through many negative thoughts before making art that can appear soothing or positive or beautiful in an uplifting way.

Vinit Barot: I can’t find the raw material I work with easily. Metal rates are up

Finding a studio has become an issue for me at the moment. We were told to pack up from the last one as there is some sort of development taking place there. It was an ideal spot, with lots of space, less rent and in the heart of the city. Now, I am looking for another place. Something temporary has been found, and shifting is on at the moment. But the bigger obstacle has also been that industries, whether automobile or other, have reduced work. As a result, their output is also reduced and that means the cuttings and scrap — amid which I find materials to work with — have more limited options. Metal rates have also increased by at least 10 per cent. Now, I roam around the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) areas two or three times a week looking for residual materials, and that takes its toll. My art cannot take off without finding the right material. I am checking out other materials and experimenting with it, or looking for larger pieces. Whatever I find, I purchase and work on. There is definitely some mental pressure to not go out and stay safe. However, sitting at home will also yield nothing. A little travelling with all safety measures in place has to be done for my work. This is my art. My inspiration comes from scrap and this sculpting is my practice, which I cannot just abandon or switch over to a different line. One good thing perhaps is that I am getting new ideas and have noticed a change in perspective. One inspiration that has come to me is making weapon art right now with the scrap. I have made at least 50 pieces and will double the amount. It feels appropriate at a time like this.

Arti Paliwal: My bread-and-butter work teaching has taken a hit

I have been in full quarantine as the person I work with has tested positive and so have some of my students. My test is negative but I am isolating as a precaution. We are all taking care of each other. There are positive cases in my family in Ahmedabad; my parents in Bhopal are fine, thankfully. Even last year when the pandemic began, there was a big impact as our studio had to change. It took several months to get back on its feet when cases started reducing in the middle, and work had slowly restarted. For the sake of bread and butter, classes had also started on the side. And then, just as the things were getting on track, we were derailed once again. Now, I draw at home. I am collecting ideas and have decided to work whenever possible. Besides drawing and watching movies, most of our time goes in drinking hot water periodically and having one’s vitamins and what not! My theme of inspiration has always been nature, so I am observing how nature is behaving at a time like this. When I am better, I will convert all my ideas into my artworks. Something new will have come out of this tough time.

Nema Ram: We have to make the best of the valuable time we are getting to make art

Firstly, a big thank you to Team Abir for reaching out and thinking about artists at a time like this. Things are admittedly tough at the moment. All we carry is the hope that the situation will get better. While we wait for better times, in this interim, work is on. That cannot stop. Every day, hour and minute is important for work. For the last year, I have worked steadily and regularly. But artists are facing many issues at the moment. For me, for instance, I work with white marble — whenever I want to source it, I need to go check it, ensure it is cut in a certain way, check on the transport and unloading, etc. It is quite a process and different stones have different issues, whether yellow or red or more. I am lucky to be in Rajasthan at least, where this material is in abundance, but artists in other states working with this medium must be in a difficult spot to manage labour, transport, packaging and more. My first solo show was in 2011 and since then, I have not had time to myself and my art completely. Now, I am building on that space. My name is on the waiting list for another show and I am preparing for it. Things were getting better than last year, but now the second wave has crashed down on us.  We have to make the best of the valuable time we are getting to make art, otherwise in normal life, other projects just keep cropping up and we get distracted from our core art.

Richa Aarya: My father passed away last year and my mother is alone at home

I am away from my family here in Kaladham in Noida. I had a solo show slated here via the Raza Foundation. But, it got postponed by the lockdown and this is my space for now. I do art work, some gardening, and constantly stay in touch with my family over the phone. We are all separated at the moment — my father passed away last year and my mother is alone at home, at the moment. My brother is in Australia, while my sister works as a nurse at the Fortis Hospital in Delhi. We keep hearing of difficult situations in medical facilities at the moment — every day there is a new problem. But I am so proud of her for the good work she is doing. We may all be in different places but we stay regularly in touch. While my iron art work is ongoing, I have also started experimenting in ceramics now.

Sonali Laha: Life goes on, and I am trying to do some art work amidst all this turmoil

I had suddenly moved from Hyderabad to Bangalore, Karanataka, after I got married in February, in a small ceremony attended by just 10 or so loved ones. Here now, I have taken up one studio space. Every day around us we hear of three or four cases in some building or the other. Last evening even I got a fever! It is indeed scary. But life goes on, and I am trying to do some art work amidst all this turmoil as well. I wish and hope that we overcome this time soon.

Monika Thesiya: Only twelve days ago, there was a death in the family

My work is going on little by little. It has been just two months since I set up my studio in Rajkot along with my husband, after our recent wedding. The entire set-up had to be done here, and there is work at home as well, with all the lockdown chores. My in-laws are on the elder side, and we have to take special care of them. Only twelve days ago, there was a death in the family, while three our relatives have just been discharged from hospital and are back home. Taking care of their food and medicines and the family in general also takes up our time. In the interim, we just keep our social media updated with whatever work we manage to get done!

Souvik Das: I came to Shantiniketan and am working with a senior artist now

Work has changed a lot for me during this pandemic. I am not in Kolkata at the moment and came to Shantiniketan, where I am working with a senior artist. My own work is on the backburner at the moment. The mind is quite disturbed. Even here, I keep waiting for news of a full-fledged lockdown. At the moment, I am researching on Bengal’s terracotta temple, its architecture, design and more. I cannot go too far from my location either, as the elections are on and it is safest to stay put. So, there is a local studio where I have been working for two months now. The senior artist I am working with is based out of here and chronicling the loss of tribal culture, working in terracotta on this theme. I help him and he shares his experience with me, not just technique, but also anecdotes. At the age of 62, he has been in this field for long, and amid this Covid situation, I am learning a lot from him. In college, our seniors are just two or three years older in terms of experience. When you step into the real world, an apprenticeship with someone learned is not something an artist should miss out on, I feel. Last year, I had to also change the materials I work with, which used to be only stoneware and high-temperature ceramics. Now, since I have no studio or furnace, I have to prepare a local source for the same. My attention has shifted to low-temperature ceramics right now. We have to take problems and harness them into practical results.

Anju Paliwal: One small sneeze and we run off to drink turmeric water!

Both my art practice and studio have been shut since March 2020. As I was teaching in a college, there were also e-classes to contend with. My parents are quite old, at 84 and 80, and hence much of my time during the pandemic has also been in taking care of them, with constant sanitising and hand-washing and washing everything! In the first week of February this year, I moved to Kolkata with my husband. We also have been exploring the place, visiting various studios and going to Shantiniketan to meet artists. I have not been working but I have been researching, conducting varied interviews and catching up on a lot of literature. This time has been, personally, a blessing in the sense that if I was not studying, I would be constantly at work and would not be able to concentrate on learning. Now, I sit at my computer from 11 am to 6 pm and get quite a bit of writing done. This pyjama-kurta routine is ongoing. But a major part of one’s mental attention is focused on health, and the regular sanitizing and handwashing we need to do. One small sneeze and we run off to drink turmeric water! I do have to say I have no complaints at the moment because happiness can be defined by knowing that those you love are okay. Touchwood. But this situation of the pandemic is terrible and we know some people who have succumbed to it as well. Death is everywhere and it is quite disturbing. Because I have doctors in my family, I knew that there would be this second wave, and a third wave, and so on. Some mental preparation was there. All one can hope for now is that it passes soon, and whoever is unwell gets better, too.

Deepika Sakhat: It is difficult to tell what is true and what is false these days

With graphic studios shut there is no set-up as such at the moment. Printmaking is on hold and I am working on my ink series. As far as my artwork goes, the ideas do change when they move from paper to graphic, in almost every way, whether it be language or technique or skill. I have been in printmaking for around five years now and I can see skills like stippling filtering into painting as well, or like in the ink series I am working on. There is a lot of confusion around us in this Covid phase, and it is difficult to tell what is true and what is false these days. It feels like we are all stuck in a false illusion. Alone, one can almost manage to stay away from the cacophony of news, although that remains very much a topic of focus. I would say one of the slight benefits of the lockdown for me has been that along with painting, a combination of other activities like yoga and music and even cooking has kept me uplifted. Another thing I can see is the huge difference between my works during my Masters and that which I am emoting now. As a student during academic life, there is a routine of studio, hostel and back, leaving little space for the self as one gets stuck in one circle or group. Now, as an independent artist, there is more space, a studio to myself, and my vision can open up much better. The dimensions of one’s art change and one can give their work its full worth. We have to use this solitude to recreate our language. I did spend a lot of time for inspiration travelling, especially in jungles, forests, and greenery. That has been shut for a year, and I wonder when I will be able to wander again.

Keerti Pooja: When it comes to printmaking, studios are shut everywhere

While I am in Baroda, my family is in Jamshedpur. I had gone back there in November last year, but returned to Baroda in January 2021 for an art residency for which I was selected. Till February, all was well, but from March onwards, things started getting really bad. But work has to go one as well. One wakes up every day these days and opens the phone to see Facebook or Instagram and what not, and there is negativity everywhere. I have to generate some positivity for the sake of work and better involvement. Somewhere I feel that when we are living apart from family at a time like this, we have to take care of ourselves for them as well. One has to be good and stay safe, reassure them and keep track of their health as well. It is a huge responsibility at an individual level, taking care of oneself! This has been my journey these days — reaching out to friends and family from morning till evening. When it comes to printmaking, studios are shut everywhere, but I am fortunate to be at a residency that has given us a very good space to create, with all the equipment, good surroundings and great fellow artists to work with. I feel this opportunity has to be used, doing painting, doing printmaking… so work is going on alright. I do see a lot of changes in my artwork itself though. I have been documenting things through these times, and my art focuses a lot around the backstage workers, such as at bazaars. I bring them to the frontline and depict them from my vision. When I speak to them in the course of my work, the stories emerging are terrible. This transformation can even be seen from the sketch phase to the zinc plate transfer — this is just not a time to show those happy faces one did earlier. Things have altered so badly for so many of these vendors that we cannot even imagine what they are going through. At least for me, it seems like everything around has tilted, and the changes to ones art and mental health cannot be ignored.

Charudatt Pande: My actual work is on hold. But I write about art in Marathi and am researching on artists

In Pune, there is a complete lockdown at the moment. Since my studio is in the main city, I haven’t been able to even go there for a while now. Things have actually been on the down-low since the beginning of this year. Further, I was blessed with a baby daughter last May. Now, much of my time is spent with her and that is pretty much all I do! My actual work is on hold, also because a lot of my art is stuck in my studio. So for now,  it is small drawings and watercolours that I am working on. But even then, my girl toddles over to me because she has just started walking, and wants to play. Whatever little time remains goes in small works. Much of my art hinges on the faces of people, which inspire me to create their portraits, of sorts. But at the moment I am hardly meeting anyone except the people at home. I do have an older collection of photographs, which I have been going through for artistic inspiration. I also write about art in Marathi, and have been doing some research on artists and penning articles about them, like Jitish Kallat.

Gulrez Ali: I am now trying to capture reality through photography

Ramazan is going on at the moment, several rozas are already over. In the backdrop, there is a lockdown everywhere and the condition is critical for all. More so I would say for artists, because I feel they think 10 times more than others — their mind is in a constant tumult about how to survive, work, earn, create art, or what lies in the future. The focus is both inwards and highly attuned to the surroundings. I believe life is full of ups and downs. As an artist or a brave human being, we have to face it head on, and not be fearful. We have to battle situations to the best of ability or capacity, like this pandemic around us — it will end eventually, whether in 15 days or a month or two months. Better times will come! We have to keep our thoughts optimistic. For me, one misfortune has been that in the last 14 months I have not been able to pick up my biggest brush and use it. I am full of a storm inside that I want to take out on a large white canvas. I do find that with abstract artists, even aspects of their abstraction change from time to time, say maybe every 10 years. What I made in 2010 is different from my abstract art now. An artist’s life is also full of stages and with time, mental vision and perspective evolve. Similarly, the abstract style also changes at every epoch, with the mentality of the artist, even as we absorb what is happening in the changing society around us. Since my abstract work began, this is the second phase, and I can safely say there is much more to come. I will keep trying to make more art. Even now, while I am not painting, I take my camera and set out on the streets sometimes, to chronicle what is happening around us. This is a time that generations ahead of us won’t see, and I am also trying to capture the reality, if not in painting, then in photography.