Ciby Samuel
Untitled
Watercolour on Paper
2018
10 x 10.5 in
We all live our life according to our choice which is not always constant and keeps changing during our journey. The things we learn from our parents and the things we observe during our childhood have a huge influence in the way we live our lives. But as we grow older and gain knowledge from various sources our perspective towards certain things changes automatically. My childhood days were strict at the same time spiritual.
I always loved to be in church because I loved to observe and to be with the paintings there, which is an integral part. Another most important thing was the chants which I heard. Both these aspects inspired me or gave me some kind of energy which would make me feel something which is difficult to express in words. When I chose art as my career there were several things I came across that changed my perception completely. Since then I started questioning myself regarding my own beliefs. Though such questions made me think from a broader point of view, the impact of that atmosphere remained with me.
After my art schooling I was questioning myself, where do I stand? That’s when I realized that I always cherished my childhood memories. My experiences will never leave me even if I try to neglect them. So I started painting the impressions from my memories which I experienced at the church. I treat the subject as an appearance or a visual with colour and space rather than being too conceptual or giving logic to my work. I paint it just because I always liked painting it since my childhood days. The only difference is that I was more specific then and now it’s a spontaneous approach towards the same. My experience in art education and my personal interest in church life are now reflecting in my artworks. My initial idea before I start painting any subject is just an inspiration, which later becomes an interaction between me and the medium.
Courtesy of Roy Thomas