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Varun Cursetji

Varun Cursetji

Interested in spatial experiments Varun Cursetji started off like any other young painter, doing landscapes, portraits and still life. Introduction to the vast world of art made Varun to make ambitious experiments with his forms and themes. He abstracted his pictorial format for a while and then reached to a plane where using mixed media including digital transferring became a handy expressive method for him. Having a great interest in alternative mediums, Varun has experimented with glass works under the efficient instruction of his teacher Sasidharan Nair. Varun is all set for pursuing higher education at the Edinburgh University, UK. He will be doing a Masters program in Glass and design. He has participated in a few important group shows in India.

When did Varun Cursetji come to know that you have an interest in art?

I have been interested in drawing from an early age thanks to my school teachers who were very encouraging. I used to participate in drawing competitions from Class III onwards. My parents valued every work that I created. I opted for Drawing and Compositions as subjects for the Board exams in S.S.C and H.S.C. My drawing teacher in school was Mr. Radde and during my years in junior college I was coached by Mr.Pawaskar, who was an examiner from the J.J .School of Arts in Mumbai.

What is his family background like? Does he have any artist relatives?

Well I have a small family. My father is an consultant in a company called Sud- Chemie and my mother is an home maker. My mother used to paint in her early age. My elder sister is married and stays with her own family at Ankleshwar. Both my parents have played a very  supporting role in bringing  out my skills

Who initiated him in art and who were the early inspirations?

There were many competitions where I participated in School. My earliest recollections are that  of group outings with my school friends to paint city and country landscapes. While I owe a lot to my school teachers , it is the renowned faculty of the MSU  that sensitized me to the modern art forms.

Who are the artists that he used to refer when he was in the formative years?

There are many. Some of the artists whose work I have liked are : Julie Mehretu, Chuck Close, David Hockney, . Matisse, Abanindranath Tagore , Amrita  Sher-Gil, Tyeb Mehta , Nandalal Bose , Bhupen Khakhar , Gaganendranath Tagore, Nataraj Sharma and many more.

Where did he do his BFA and MFA and why did he choose that particular school?

I joined the Fine Arts Faculty of  Maharaja Sayajirao. University  Baroda in the year 2003  for the degree course in Bachelor of Visual Art . I had heard about the reputation of the Fine Arts Faculty and its renowned teachers as well as all the reputed artists that have made Baroda known all over the world. I was indeed lucky to study at the MSU Baroda.

Who were the teachers who inspired Varun?
 
 During the early years of my school and Junior college, it was Mr.Radde and Mr.Pawaskar ,who taught me the basics of line, form and color. There are many pleasant memories of visits to historical places, country sites, and city centres where we were taken for outdoor sketching. However I owe the most to the professors of the Fine Arts Faculty at Baroda who gave me freedom and the necessary direction to explore my skills. Mr. Sashidhan Nair introduced me to glass as a medium , Mr. Vasudevan Akkitham guided me in developing my individual style, Mr. Indrapramit Roy ,and Mr.B.V Suresh guided us to the past masters of art as well as the contemporary artists, Mr. Deepak Kanal  taught me Indian art and Mr. Shivji Pannikar  introduced us to western art. The interaction with both  the teachers and fellow students has greatly helped in increasing my awareness and understanding of Art.

What was his paintings like when he joined the art school and how did it evolve in the first few years?

I used to paint landscapes, portraits and still life. With time I slowly started experimenting with abstract   figures and made a lot of use of line, color. and form. Basically I started taking a deep  interest in division of space. I feel strongly  that it is possible to reflect the surroundings that I belong to and my paintings therefore reflect a part of me. I normally prefer acrylic and serigraphy on canvas. 

How does he look at his current art practice?

“A painting before it is a horse, a nude or some sort of anecdote, is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order.” -----------Maurice Denis.

My compositions of paintings, are spaces created and stitched together by objects placed in them. Stated differently, these are arrangements of shapes flattened with subdued tones. In reference to the quotation above, the paintings connect the viewer to the surroundings, and my strategy of representation is not only to conjure reality, but also provide  a window to look within the silent evacuated spaces.

What does Varun think about alternative art practices and is he interested in doing alternative practices?

Alternate art practices even as varied as video art, installations and even theatre have their own appeal. In fact there is no limit to the mediums which could be used to express your creative talent. However they may require quite different skills. I intend to study the medium of glass as an alternative to painting and am looking forward to studying hot and cold fusion techniques to create a body of work in the form of installations.

What are his current projects?

I intend to explore different mediums including working with fused glass. As this is a a three dimension medium, it will give me a greater opportunity to create objects with spatial forms.

What does he think about the art market?
    
 I consider the market as a unique space to project a work of art. It is a great pleasure when ones work is appreciated and valued. If correctly managed , the market can provide the much needed patronage for development of new art forms. In today’s world it is the enlightened individual art collectors who substitute for the institutions of monarchy and religion which were the traditional  patrons of art  in earlier times.

Where shall we look for him in the coming two years?

I am planning to pursue my post graduation in Master of Design – Glass at Edinburgh U.K and after that I don’t now what platform I will get. I am flexible in adapting to different art forms and I aim to be in the list of the recognized contemporary artists .