Naozar Rusi Daruwalla - You can do a gamut of things when it comes to painting

One look at the man and Naozar Rusi Daruwalla will come across as anything but a painter. His composed and sophisticated look belies the search process that he has been engaged with over the years . He had started Crimson - The Art Resource, which is an association of artists who are willing to move beyond monetary considerations and perceive art as a learning process. He found sheer pleasure in painting from the sensuous feel of mixing paint to the search for images and the hidden artist in himself . Naozar Rusi Daruwalla's latest collection called Impressions was recently on exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery. Trying out different mediums in paintings, he has made use of print and printing inks and the result has been quite impressive.

Speaking to Daruwalla one is sure that painting is very close to his heart. He asserts, "Painting is something which I do with conviction and it is a pleasant activity for me. It is an obsession. I love the very fact that there is so much you can do with a canvas, a brush and paints. You can do a gamut of things when it comes to painting." Talking about the commercialisation of art, Daruwalla states, "One need not draw simply for the sake of money as that would be a highly materialistic outlook causing art to lose its very essence." Being financially comfortable allows Daruwala to paint the subjects he likes. "Artists are truly prolific and there is never a dearth of paintings. For them there is no limit when it comes to exploring the limits of art," emphasises Daruwalla.

Daruwalla comes to the defence of some of the big art collectors who may just be collecting art for the sake of building up a collection. "Today, there is a greater degree of understanding when it comes to art and people take pride in possessing a painting drawn out by some of the big names today. If I like having a painting over my sofa and I am willing to pay for it it does not really matter if I understand art or not." Although this last statement sounds contradictory to what he says previously, Daruwalla clarifies himself when he avers, "Just as one's style of writing or painting develops over a period of time, similarly, a person who was initially ignorant will eventually come of age and is bound to develop a taste, as far as art is concened. It is not always pretension when people say they try to understand art. "

By: Sharmistha Chatterjee