Rajat Shanbhag
Canada
Rajat Shanbhag- Artist Biography
The first painting I did was on location in 2014 in Kansas, while I was attending school. Previously, I had been a student of science most of my life, with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, then working for an aerospace and automotive industry in research and design department. It was during this time I began teaching myself how to paint. When I travelled to national parks during breaks, I discovered I loved to paint outdoors. At some point, I realized the visual depth, and information the art conveyed could bring the connections I had sought in science to a larger audience. This appealed to me. I also began to understand how close science and art are in terms of problem solving, both aimed at inquiring into the consistent structural and aesthetic unity in beauty. Painting as science is a set of relationships, in this case color, values, edges, and impasto. Painting in nature, as opposed to in the studio in turn brings a challenge, and keeps the painting process interesting with endless surprises.
With this new way of approaching painting along with my love of the outdoors, I decided to dedicate my time to address and document landscapes with science as my guide. I started producing works of diverse landscapes in the States, and sharing this in shows and exhibitions. There was an undeniable internal drive, and wooed by the mountains and oceans of the west coast, I decided to quit my engineering job in Ohio, and move to Vancouver Islands.
Currently I am working in the landscapes of south Vancouver island, in and around the city of Victoria. This includes the urban aspects of street scenes, marinas, and expands to the coast, and the islands rainforests. My hope through these works is that people will be able to connect it through their daily experiences, perhaps recollecting a memory or a sensation.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 15th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
