Field Review | Artist Interview Series
In conversation with
Shruti Gangar
Shruti, from Mumbai, India, is an artist, photographer, and social worker in the fields of education and medicine. She has been drawing for as long as she can remember. First inspired by her parents, and later by nature and the world around her. Though art took a backseat over the years, it remained her way to express and heal, alongside writing.
A graduate in Applied Arts from Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, she went on to spend years in photography before returning to painting, blending both passions. Her work is inspired by moments she has captured, shaped by memory and imagination.
She loves traveling, walking miles, and exploring nature, and much of her art centers on conservation, a cause she holds a deep love for protecting.
From:
India
Artist Statement
Her paintings carry stories of wildlife, nature and things around especially eyes, windows into the souls of beings, places, and moments in nature that are vanishing before us. Each piece is born from a deeply heartfelt process, an attempt to hold on to what is fragile and slipping away.
She works mainly in acrylic and mixed media, layering watercolour, pastels, charcoal, and texture into her pieces. Before picking up a subject, she puts in careful research, so she can depict it in the light she wants people to see.
This is her way of keeping these voices alive, making it possible for them to live in more homes, more spaces, and reach more hearts as a reminder to look closer, to care deeper, and to never forget what truly matters.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic background.
Art runs in my family, my mother painted often in her early years, passing that passion down to me. My father, a poetic soul, has always played an important role in my journey, motivating and inspiring me to pursue my love for art and to think differently.
I began pursuing art seriously at a very young age, learning from my mother and my art teacher, and took part in art examinations and competitions, building a name for myself in the field as a child.
Pursuing art in depth was always my dream, one I fulfilled when I earned admission to one of the best art colleges in the country. From there, my career moved into photography, while painting remained my constant way to express myself, alongside writing. For me, art has never been just painting, it's seeing and experiencing the world through capturing, writing, and every form of creative expression.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
My artistic practice involves a lot of research, which leads me to fall in love with the subject I'll work on. From there, I sketch and ideate around it, sometimes for days, until I feel convinced enough to move forward. I also love writing about it, to feel it more deeply, before finally working on the final piece of paper or canvas.My choice of medium usually depends on the subject, the feel I want to create, and the artwork's size. I've also started reproducing some of my art pieces, making them available as limited-edition archival prints.
What themes or ideas are most important in your work?
My themes usually revolve around wildlife and nature especially places that hold deep importance, and wildlife we may not get to see much longer. The idea is to fall in love with them, so we feel responsible for protecting them in return, that's what I want to share through my art.
What inspires your creative process?
I would surely credit traveling, wandering and a lot of walking, it shows us what lies beyond, and the capacity to which nature is responsible for our being. The thought and subject are the starting point of my creative process, and for that, I draw inspiration from what I see that stays with me.
Can you tell us about a recent artwork or project?
My recent artwork is a series I've been working on for the past year, "Eyes we may never see" and "Magic we can't lose." This thought came from my love for sketching random eyes since I was a child and I thought of using it to tell a story. These carry stories of places and moments in nature that are vanishing before us. Each piece is born from a deeply heartfelt process, an attempt to hold on to what is fragile and slipping away.
What challenges have influenced your development as an artist?
Having lots of ideas as an artist is great, the challenge for me has never been what to paint, but rather when to. There are days when I haven't painted at all, because I just can't and don't wish to hold that pencil or brush. What happens in life outside of art influences the art too, and this brings speed breakers to many plans and progress. At times, my social work also takes the front seat, leaving less room for making art. I'd surely call myself a moody artist.I have a home studio at my mother's place. While it's beautiful in a way, it also brings challenges like the isolation and disconnection from the world which I often crave.
What role does art play in your life today?
It sometimes takes effort to pick up the brush, but once it's picked up, it teleports me. It helps me escape from worries and takes me to a meditative space. It helps me calm down, pause, and think.
What are you currently working on?
My current series of work will reflect on the idea of 'Unreal Beauty'. I'm researching places that are truly magical, like the underwater waterfall in the Denmark Strait and more such places that feel unreal but exist. We don't need to think of fiction when reality itself is so magical.
What are your future goals as an artist?
My future goals include having my own art studio and gallery, where I can host visitors and showcase my art more offline. I started my wildlife series to contribute towards a cause, and my aim is to donate a portion of the sales to an organisation I'm currently in talks with. I also wish to submit my work to other art galleries to widen my viewership globally, and to keep focusing on creating more art that helps me carry my message.
Where can readers follow your work?
My website - www.zeroblackdesign.com & Instagram handle - @zeroblackdiaries
