Himanshu, what came first — dance or painting?

It is difficult to trace the exact origin of dance and painting in my life but I have faint memories of dancing to Doordarshan's Baje Sargam, to scribbling sketches on the walls, and before I knew it, I was saying that I was born with bells and brushes. Strangely and successfully, if I may add, these two art forms have been running in parallel in my life, inspiring each other, constantly.

What would you paint as a child?

It's tough to recollect memories from an age where what you do is inherently exploratory and wild in nature but there are quaint flashes of memory I have of me observing — and for hours — patterns/forms on a damp wall.

Yes! Damp wall! Sounds ridiculous, no? Yet, let me add that it is one of the most important exercises that helps you unleash the inner artist (mindful observation being the key to all arts) in you. I think somewhere, slowly, one day at a time, the inner artist in me, found its lines in these patterns. Sometimes, the same pattern

would manifest in different forms.

The mind had found a new game to learn and unlearn. As I look back at my childhood, I see a strong inclination towards lines and forms, and that fascination continues till date. As I grew up, school notebooks became my first canvas. A 2+2 would always be equal to 4 accompanied by an eye or an ear or anything from my imagination.

With time, the lines grew stronger. I remember struggling with my art teacher over the unrealistic way of making a lotus. Gradually sketches became prominent and conveyed whatever the mind had processed. I still have my full-fledged storytelling sketch work (kept safe by my father) based on William Wordsworth's Daffodils.

The struggle was real. Most of my teachers wanted me to see the world through their lens alone, only a few knew I was born with a prism of my own. My humble bow to both the kind of teachers, the ones who opposed, to make me grow stronger and the ones who supported me only to strengthen my faith in myself.

Did the environment, the city, you grow up in, affect and impact your journey in pursuing the arts — both visual and performance?

I hail from a small and religious city called Prayagraj in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Honestly, here there aren't many openings for those seeking visual or performance art but I can say with conviction that it's a great place to start for the grounding needed for the artist within.

I grew up in a joint family, relishing tales and mythological stories from my grandparents which were later demystified by my father (a Sanskrit scholar himself). All this went on to lay a strong foundation for my beliefs to set sail. A temple tour, now and then, with grandparents would inspire me to make my lines stronger.

The best the city gave me was my first dance teacher, Chitrangada Jain, who allowed me to enjoy and understand my own body. The pieces she taught were re-discovered after every three months or so and we explored the possibilities within. Although she never believed in performance, per se, she always said, " I am your audience.” In hindsight, she was possibly trying to save me from the rat race.

Apart from this, the city offered me a permanent artistic retreat (which we often tend to neglect as artists). The banks of the Ganga are still my first in the to-do list whenever I visit my hometown. It may sound fictitious but nature answers your prayers in mysterious ways although be sure to ask mindfully.

How do the visual and the performance intersect in your body and mind, and how do they help you as an artiste? Are you in a way always painting the dance or dancing the painting in your mind?

The visual and the performing arts intersect in my life at the lines. As mentioned before, I discovered my keen interest in physical form (animate mostly) focusing on representing them the way I saw them. The mythical characters and the godly figures I draw focus on convincing body lines, conveying stories. Every bend is carefully measured and experimented on my own body (often) before the final sketch. The joy lies in mapping the creative thought with the body lines. Isn't it the same way in dance?

We reflect upon a state of mind through lines and circular movements which often derive its creative expressions from temple sculptures and architecture - concepts being the central string for both the art forms.

To share an interesting example, I have always pondered over the character sketch of Lord Rama and for it to be more human than just a divine figure on earth for Leela. My Rama, therefore has an identity even without the fabled bow; my Rama smiles, laughs and cries without being framed.

A few years ago (inspired by the East Ramayana /Krittivasi Ramayana), I danced to a piece exploring a mortified Rama at the battleground, expressing his weakness against Ravana. Entering the character with the above thought immediately affected my lines on stage.A few months ago, I painted a similar Rama expressing his humility over a small act of kindness by a squirrel. The Rekha/lines had already taken inspiration from the application, on stage. The shareera saushtavam had lent generously to the brushes.

I mentally dance to the subject of my art, and vice-versa. In a way, it assures me of the visual appeal of the precipitate of the movements (body or brushes).

You pursue both seriously; are they always co-existing in harmony or do you feel drawn to one over the other sometimes?

Harmony is a relative concept when it comes to the arts. When clearly one form is drawing energy and inspiration from the other, chances of interdisciplinary tug-of-war seem limited although I would like to confess that, every once in a while one art form may seem like it is ruling over the other, the reason for it is nothing more than artistic saturation, which is also temporary. Given a chance to choose between the two, I would rather prefer doing both than none.

The Devi, the goddess, is a recurring motif in your art; what about Her energy draws you?

Yes. Right from my childhood, the divine feminine has captured my attention. I am a firm believer of Shakta understanding and have always cherished the mysterious ways of nature.

The most important aspect that has always humbled my vision, is from the Saundarya Lahiri shloka, "Pum Roopam Va Smaret Devi, Stri Roopam Vaa Vichintaye" thus declaring the supreme goddess, free from gender and body. She resides in every being as consciousness and bliss.

The symbolic three eyes on Her draw my attention the most. Not only does it signify the gunas, the past, present and future but also the three states of evolving mind, body and soul.

Another reason for my inclination towards the divine feminine is the presence of strong and powerful women in my life. From my grandmother, who introduced me to Shaktism, to my mother and my teachers, they all have been a guiding force. Deep within, somewhere, I feel, it has casted for me a special bond with divinity. The famous shloka fits in well here, "Yatra Nariyastu Poojyante.. Ramante Tatra Devata”. Divinity resides in places where women are respected and worshiped.

Typically, how do you begin work on a piece of art? Is it the same process when it comes to choreography? What is your artistic process?

It is a simple recipe!

An inspiration followed by a convincing visual supporting your thoughts, a dash of research, reading and a whole lot of colours, slowly stirred with patience. The painting is ready. I wish it was that simple! But the real challenging part is visualizing the subject and using the trial and error technique. You grow with every stroke, every medium, but no two processes are the same. Sometimes, a thought that may seem ripe takes its own time to mature, I call it the artistic-gestation period, painful but worth the wait. I follow a similar process in dance, the only difference being many a time, as dancers, we stick to deadlines and

dates. Hence the process has to be pushed for a timely result.

One common aspect to both the art forms is that we can re-visit the subject anytime with a very different artistic input. I feel that's the real way to evolve both as an artist and the art.

Observation, analysis and implementation are the three crucial pivotal points in my creative process. Any and every movement/stroke has to compliment my thoughts. This also has helped me to develop my own identity and understanding with both my art forms (dance and painting).

How would you describe your own art? What are some of the qualities that are distinctive to your style?

I guess it will be apt to summarise it as, "I dance to paint and paint to dance.”

Both the forms reflect my inner core and spirit. Focusing on subtle nuances has always been a special feature of my work. One can distinctively experience this quality in every brushstroke or choreography.

In most of my paintings, the eyes (bent downwards known as Ardhonimeelita) carry a special side glance, rendering a unique appeal to the works. They reflect my inner self.

A balance between softness and hardness of movements in dance is distinctive to my choreographies. It speaks of my own journey and inner balance as an artist.

It is rightly said that art of any kind brings out your inner self before the world. I hope to keep on experimenting and exploring my inner universe.

Interviewed by Akhila Krishnamurthy