Amandeep Singh, a graphic illustrator from London, caught the attention of art lovers in 2012 with his first exhibition that was a massive success in Toronto. The pop culture-inspired artist showcased his work at The Thievery art studio on K’Road in Auckland on January 21 and 22.
Amandeep adds a hint of pop culture to his colourful illustrations that have created a new cult in historical paintings. He has different paintings under the name ‘Inkquisitive Illustrations’, that include a portrait of Bhagat Singh, religious art such as that of Guru Nanak, Guru Govind Singh, the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Lord Vishnu, and Hanuman, pop artists such as Michael Jackson, Drake, and Pharrell William, and personalities such as Nelson Mandela, Saint Teresa, and Martin Luther King.
Amandeep has more than 150,000 followers on Instagram and 130,000 on his ‘Inkquisitive’ Facebook page. The artist was in town for his first New Zealand exhibition and hosted a workshop for the Sikh Youth NZ summer camp in Papatoetoe. Speaking to Indian Weekender, Amandeep shared his passion for colours, described his art technique, and how he came to be known as ‘The Sikh Illustrator’.
IWK: How did you develop a passion for painting?
Amandeep: I got my art technique from my dad; he is a calligrapher. As a child, I would practice calligraphy under his guidance, and from a young age, my fingers worked fast. I never let go of the pen because I enjoyed looking at my art, and I would love to see the ink touch the paper. The more I did that, the more I realised how much I was passionate about it and that led me to pursue a Masters in Graphic Designing Illustrations from the University of Hertfordshire in London. Studying graphic illustrations was difficult because it was an independent subject and I had to create my brief for art.
IWK: What were your major breakthroughs as an artist?
Amandeep: My first exhibition ‘Keep Calm Imagination is Free’ in Toronto was my first breakthrough. People realised that I took my work seriously. There are a lot of people who claim to be artists, but they do not take their art to the next level. In December 2012, Rick Matharu and Harjot Ghuman invited me to Toronto to exhibit my work. Although initially, I declined, I decided to go ahead with it, and that was incredible. My second breakthrough was when rapper LL Cool J recognised my work. I was blown away when he shared my work. I sent some of my paintings to him, and he changed them to his profile picture on social media, and it was then people outside the community started noticing my work.
IWK: What techniques and material do you use for your illustrations?
Amandeep: As the name ‘Inkquistive’ suggests, I mainly use ink for my work. I love using Indian inks because they flow so well; the colours are sharp and bright, and they also blend well. I don’t have a particular process or a sequence to follow. I like to have fun. The more I play, I realise I am challenging the norms. Sometimes I put ink and watercolours on cartridge paper or canvas, or at times, I burn paper and use it, or pour water on paper and do spontaneous work. I don’t like working in a pattern or a routine. I try to experiment. The more I play, the more I learn about myself, and it reflects in my work. Each of my art pieces has some similarities, yet they are different.
IWK: As an artist, have you at any point of time felt redundant?
Amandeep: There have been so many times, especially in the first two years of my career, when I used to be out of ideas. You keep putting your artwork on the wall, you get support and recognition, but it is not always about likes and followersI realised I should stop pleasant people and start doing artwork for myself. The second I started doing artwork for myself, I stopped feeling redundant. The more I became honest to my artwork, the more honest audience I got, and they could relate to the illustrations.
One of the things that I do to get over such thoughts is to travel, it makes you a story teller and drive around and talk to people, have conversations because it inspires you to learn something from others. Inspiration is everywhere and not just in books.
IWK: Do each of your paintings have a story to tell?
Amandeep: Yes, I firmly believe so, and I like to deepen the mystery in my work. These are not just art pieces, these are stories, and I want everyone to see the piece and become an artist themselves. So you might see an orange colour, some people may decipher it as a mere colour and some may say that is my sunshine. It is all about perspectives. The reason it is called ‘Inkquisitive’ is that I want people to ask questions. I love to twist their thoughts and emotions when observing the artwork.
IWK: Looking at some of your Sikh historical paintings, they are exotic and unconventional at the same time. What goes in your mind while or before you were painting them?
Amandeep: I owe a lot to my dad. He is one of my biggest inspirations, and as a child, he used to tell me all stories about gurus, Sikh history, and the history of India. The tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was an artist as well, and I feel like it is a crime for me as a Sikh to not use that as an element to inspire the youth. I am not the kind of a guy who will draw the guru standing straight ahead. I love to embed a story within a story. There are so many different things in that piece that are different from a conventional Sikh art. It may be contemporary because it allows you to learn something new. You may see an arrow in there or another guru in the picture.
IWK: Tell us a little about the theme ‘Heartaches Better The Art’.
Amandeep: I got bullied at school, and I don’t want to glorify that, but it was those moments that allowed me to realise who am I as a person. I got bullied in my art class, and I was traumatised by the experience. I was so sad about going to school at the thought that the kids would laugh at my work; my teacher would also say my work wasn’t good enough. I wanted people to realise that it is okay to be heartbroken because it is what makes you stronger. Moments such as those made me realise how much I value art and wanted to pursue it. There were two ways of doing things—either I stop doing what I do or I wake up and work consistently on my art and perfect it.
IWK: You mention through one of your paintings ‘Art gets a lot of recognition, artists do not, not necessarily’. Tell us a little more about it.
Amandeep: It is common for artists to be let down. People don’t realise that a piece they have seen for just five seconds and walked away may have taken five months for someone to do. Because what an artist wants is someone to dive in. I want people to give the artist a chance like a photographer, who looks for the perfect moment, angle, light and what not before he shoots. Appreciate the artist for the work he has delivered.
IWK: What message do you have as an artist to an artist?
Amandeep: I think that expression is a beautiful thing. Express yourself in any way possible without worrying about what others may say. The second you give your value to others, you have lost the battle. It takes a lot to keep your value when you train because values can easily slip away. That is what I am doing now. I keep everything with me, my value, passion, courage, and my independence.
IWK: What do you intend to impart to the young artists at Sikh Youth Camp?
Amandeep: The biggest weakness we have in our community is that we are not consistent and that is what I want to convey to these young minds—follow your passion and be consistent. Do not get discouraged or carried away by what people are saying. Be consistent with anything you are doing be it art, drama, cooking, dancing, etc.
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