Leaving something behind is always a painful experience, demanding a sense of resilience and the strength to pull yourself together. So, when you get to relive what you had let go in the days gone by, the sense of joy is overwhelming. Sneha Suresh, a young artist from Goa, recounts the sheer joy on her father’s face as he visited his boarding school after 48 years, and held the tabla he used to play when he lived there. This inspired her to work with Indian musical instruments that had been lost in time. She created a series of illustrations of lesser known Indian musical instruments that had either been forgotten, or are on the verge of extinction. However, the illustrations are playful re-interpretations of those instruments, and not exactly how they look like. The purpose of this series is to preserve and pay tribute to these instruments and give them a new life through illustrations while keeping the essence of the old intact. Each illustration is a tribute to one such instrument with an aim to push people to think, wonder, imagine and perhaps even create.
She decided to take a few prompts from #inktober2019 and use them as cues to re-imagine and illustrate certain instruments that are on the verge of extinction. In each of these illustrations, the re-imagined instrument is painted in black and gold. This series, along with two other projects – “Prajne” and “Inaipu” – were all a part of a brand that she started five years ago, called Tucksac @tucksac. In addition to offering products for artist/designers, a big chunk of Tucksac’s work involved bringing to light narratives from the past in a more imaginative way. We ask Sneha regarding the nuances of her work, and the inspiration behind her project.
How do you usually initiate a project?
I typically start a project with brainstorming on paper and thinking out loud and only then move on to research. The most exciting part of my creative process is a phase that I call ‘thinking through making’ during which I enjoy playing with words, material and combining mediums to create work while keeping in mind only a couple of keywords from the material gathered through research. This often helps bring in a fresh dimension to the project, sometimes also helps me form connections between 2 seemingly unrelated topics. Material and medium explorations give me an insight into the kind of visual language and medium that work best in order to translate my project idea to a tangible form. While executing my work, I like to keep reminding myself to “pay attention to detail, be extremely patient and most importantly have fun with it”. I create with the intention of using visuals to tell a story that looks at particular theme through a different lens. Since what moves people in every case is the unknown, the aim is to tell a story through visuals that open doors for imagination.
How has you native place as well as Indian culture in general inspired you in your art?
I’m hugely inspired by Indian history, oral traditions, art forms and my cultural roots. Having been born and raised in Goa, I get a lot of inspiration from my surroundings. For a good dose of inspiration, I can count on a stroll along the beach or down a street at Fontainhas with colourful Portuguese houses on either side – a visual treat for anyone with a penchant for colour. My niece who is a little over 3 years old inspires me in multiple ways. This little artist with an eagerness to learn, a carefree nature while playing with colour and painting pushes me to stay curious and be fearless while creating. If nothing seems to work I have a go-to quote that in my case has a 98% success rate – “Things get interesting when you start running out of ideas and are forced to get ridiculous and stop thinking so much.” – Martha Rich
Could you name a few of your Indian contemporaries who inspire you? ( Please share their instagram handles)
Srishti Garg @srishtigarg_ ; Prashant Sriram @nomad_ontherun ; Saumya Pankaj @orange__blues ; Anushree @anushreechokappa ; Aishwarya Carriappa @aish_cari
What is the first piece of music that impacted you deeply ?
Mohenjo Daro: ‘A Song of Mystery’ by Sahil Vyas.
Could you think of any ways to preserve and pay tribute to India’s cultural heritage , as well as revive dying art forms?
There are museums in India that focus on tribal musical instruments and other instruments that are either endangered or forgotten. Some of these museums don’t have enough space to keep all the instruments that they have in their possession on display. I would like to bring together collectors of such Indian musical instruments and artisans of India’s lesser known art forms. This would bring about awareness and give the history of these instruments a new life through work that tells their stories while also reviving art forms that are getting lost in time. The narratives could then be made more accessible through books and zines in addition to being placed in the form of artwork along with the actual instrument at a museum. In museums that lack space, these narratives of instruments that are not on display along with a photograph of the instrument could be made available for viewers to pick and flip through. The benefits of this project would be twofold – to preserve and pay tribute to India’s cultural heritage while also reviving dying art forms and giving artisans a sustainable stream of income.
Which is your favourite piece of work of your own & why?
Not having a favourite yet is what gives me an ardent need to learn and create a lot more.
One track you’re currently listening to?
Ajnabi – Madras Cafe
Is there any project you wish you were a part of?
India Revival Project (Sabyasachi for Nilaya) Through intricate patterns, deep jewel tones and Indian motifs, this project showcases my areas of interest, surface pattern design, colour and Indian history, in perfect harmony.
Your favourite midnight munchies?
Pringles with sweet onion sauce
What food do you indulge in on your cheat days?
Nutella
You can check out her work here.
Find her instagram here.
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