Artist Swati Pasari: Positivity in art heals people in challenging times

Born of Web

October 22, 2020
6 min read
Artist Swati Pasari

Hailing from a Marwari business family and taking up art as a career was not an easy ride for SWATI PASARI, but she followed her heart, and soon became one of the most promising emerging artists in India. At 33, Pasari has earned several global takers with her successful exhibits at renowned galleries such as Jack Rabbit and Laasya Art in the US and Sublime Art Gallery, Dhoomimal City Art Gallery, Aura Art, and Emami Art Gallery, among others in India. She says her art is driven by the universal ideas of happiness, peace and spirituality. Excerpts from an interview:

How did you discover bent for arts and creativity?

I always had an inclination towards art since my childhood. I enjoyed spending time in painting and doing creative work. But it was during my college days that I realised I wanted to pursue art professionally instead of business. Art not only allows me to express myself but also completes me. It is my passion, my calling.

After completing my education abroad, I returned and worked for about three months in my family business, but I always felt something was amiss, even though I did enjoy working in the office. It was this feeling of uneasiness that led me to explore the areas outside business. It was during this phase of exploration that I got enrolled in a spiritual school of Pranic Healing and that eventually changed my life completely.

What led to the beginning of Soulink?

When I realised that art was my true calling, I decided to take it up seriously and I did get a good response from people around me. My first exhibition in 2008 was an immense success and all 15 of my paintings were sold. This was very encouraging for me, and this is when I decided to start Soulink.

My works focus on the themes of spirituality, stillness and natural beauty. Through my work, I seek to bring positivity and spread happiness all around. I do not begin any painting with a thought in mind, instead, I let my emotions flow, and somehow everything that I want to convey finds their place on the canvas. Mythology and spirituality has always interested me and I love taking inspiration from them.

How do you think your interest in pranic healing shape your artworks?
Yes, I do practise Pranic Healing and it has its influence on me. It has been very helpful to me because it helps me bring out my innermost feelings to the canvas. Pranic healing is all about understanding energy patterns and the exchange of energy. It does wonder for boosting my creativity.

In the age of conflicts and a pandemic, how do you think positive art can help in healing the world?
Painting for me is a form of meditation. I draw inspiration from the universe, which teaches me to focus on inner goodness and messages. Through my paintings, I focus on positivity and spreading happiness to create a better and healed world.

Is there any method in your work?

I always loved painting and it was my hobby since childhood. I used to paint once a week initially. But with time, when I spent time painting, I felt connected to the canvas and colours more and more and it was there I could find myself completely and from there my journey as an artist began. I work on sculptures and canvases and my artwork are mostly the exploration of various aspects of spirituality. My paintings are more like a meditation for me and there is no specific method I can point out. When I feel a sense of completeness and feel a connection with the universal power, that is when I realise my work is done, my painting is complete.

A part of proceeds from your artworks go to your NGO as well. What drives your conviction for social work?
I believe that a life well lived is a life lived for others, I have a deep connection to the city of Varanasi. I visit a school regularly and also contribute to a hospital there. Through my art, I aim to raise funds that will be used for the benefits of those who need it. And yes, a percentage of my proceeds are always kept aside to help others. Recently, I participated at the Colours of Life exhibition by Cancer Patients Aid Association in order to help the underprivileged cancer patients.

Do you see silver lining to the crisis faced by the Indian art industry today?
Crisis can never be an opportunity, but yes, I do believe in finding positivity in every incident. With more time indoor, people are more inclined towards exploring their creative side, embracing positivity and things that spreads positivity. Art has always been a wonderful way to add that aura of positivity and beauty in our living space, thus this could be a silver lining for the Indian art industry.

What are the challenges of particularly being an emerging artist in India?
As an artist, your work often goes unappreciated in India. People might even ask you, why the artwork is priced so much. People fail to understand the emotional and artistic investment in an artwork and that is a big challenge. Moreover, if you are a young artist who happens to be a woman, people might start considering your passion/profession as just another passing whim, they fail to take you seriously, which again is a huge challenge in itself. But the scenario is fast changing and I am happy to be an artist in a time, where people are gradually becoming more accepting towards art as a profession and are taking artists and their artworks seriously.

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