We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Durba Sen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Durba below.
Hi Durba, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
As an artist, being resilient in the face of rejections and art criticism is a major component in one’s work life. It is extremely rare that an artist receives success from their first encounter in the art world. I am a self taught artist and my art journey has been a constant learning process from visiting galleries, exhibitions and museums, to attending art talks and artist led workshops. My paintings have evolved over time from landscapes and portraits to abstract expressionist and geometric abstract art. Along the way, I have applied to many art shows and approached galleries, and have encountered numerous rejections. Some gallerists and curators have provided feedback which has been extremely valuable in my development and evolving as an artist today. But criticism of any kind and rejection is difficult to face – it can get demoralizing and one can get bogged down under it. Networking with fellow artists and attending workshops and art talks led by gallerists, curators and successful artists have helped shed light on how rejections are a part of every creator’s life and ways to use these as stepping stones for future creativity and success. Through my journey of discovering and creating art, I have learned not to take these criticisms personally, but to apply them towards improving my art. It has made me stronger and appreciate the artistic journey I have undertaken and the one I am still working on.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a self taught abstract artist obsessed with color! A first generation immigrant and a woman of color, my art explores the confluence of the two in my latest painting series of women centric abstracts and geometric art. Color and texture permeate through my abstract expressionist creations, influenced by artists like Rex Ray, Jackson Pollock, Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Pablo Picasso. My canvases explode with colors which are influenced by and reflects back to my life in India, where bold, vibrant color was found in every facet of life from the gorgeous silks and georgettes, the fragrant and colorful flowers which were an integral part of festivals and cultural ceremonies, the richly woven tapestries, the rich earthy color of the spices in the Indian kitchen, the exquisite intricate designs and richness of Indian jewelry and much more. My paintings are an ode to the rich vibrancy of texture and color reflected in every facet of life I grew up in.
My geometric abstractions have been printed and now are on display on the barrier covers on California Avenue in Palo Alto; they can be found, also as a street mural in the city of Fremont – both completed last year. I am currently working on two genres simultaneously – the geometric abstract art which is fun and extremely painstaking both at the same time, and abstract portraits painted in a blend of Picasso style and geometric abstraction. My art is colorful, and interactive and I am thoroughly loving my creative journey at the present.
Besides painting, I teach art to both kids and adults – I love the mom-child duo attending class together. I conduct paint alongs for birthday and private events, and I am currently involved with the local chamber of commerce to promote art in the neighborhood through street art fairs, etc. I also have my art printed and painted on coasters, tree ornaments and art gift ideas that are available through my website or on social media. Currently I am working on a couple of new geometric abstracts for upcoming shows and getting ready for the art events of Fremont Creates in April.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Persistence and the ability and willingness to learn and incorporate new ideas to my art practice, I feel, helped me through the years. Painting and practicing art has been a slow and bumpy ride and there have been times when the going got tough and the future felt bleak. I refused to give up, ploughing through it all, learning new skills and incorporating it all in my art. One can see my art evolve over time by visiting my social media pages. The only constant in my paintings has been the use of bold and vibrant color .It requires both emotional and mental toughness to overcome the negative thoughts and adverse circumstances and thrive in your work – and I am proud to say that I have been successful in its pursuit, The advice I have for folks early in their creative journeys is to never give up. The path most likely will be slow and circuitous, and one might feel the urge to change course completely. It’s alright to take a break as long as you get back on track – a steady and continuous practice helps in honing of the skills. And a definite for me is to be always open to and incorporate new ideas in your work, and be willing to listen to positive feedback to help improve one’s creative practice.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shout out for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
A big shout out to my spouse for encouraging me to restart painting and pushing me to pursue it as a career. Being a successful entrepreneur himself, he gave me the guidance to stay the course and build a strong work ethic. Observing him as an entrepreneur and his endurance at work gave me the strength to plow on despite setbacks, and learn new skills along the way. Being an artist is much more than just painting, it’s more about learning the skills of a small business – from updating and maintaining my website, to developing writing skills for applying to shows, creating my artist statement and newsletters for my followers, marketing and reaching out to galleries and art collectors, developing social and networking skills as well as organizational and financial skills, administrative work and much more. Each of these tasks had a learning curve and some are still an uphill battle for me. There’s a saying in art that creating is only a small part of an artist’s life and if reflected on a pie chart it is defined as a narrow wedge. That being said, it is important for me to be in the studio nearly everyday, researching the different styles and aspects of art as well as painting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.durbasen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/durbasenarts
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/durbasenarts
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/durba-sen-93b139133
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@durbasenarts
