Lovedeep Sidhu
From blank canvases to textiles, furniture, and now walls of Mumbai streets — Brinda Miller’s art appeals to both the connoisseur and the novice. As she juggles the roles of a fine artist, art festival advisor and mentor, it’s hard to imagine her as an introvert little girl who’d spend most of her days drawing and painting.
“I realised that I was good in art at about seven years of age, when my teacher praised my drawing skills. An otherwise average student, all I knew was that I enjoyed myself the most when I was being creative,” says Brinda, the only one in her family to have followed this path.
Having studied textile design at Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, she went on to design patterns at Khatau Mills. “I worked there for almost a year and realised that this was not what I wanted to do,” she says. As Brinda had continued to indulge in her love for drawing and painting, she decided to hold a solo show of her paintings. “My first exhibition at Baroda was a grand success. After a couple of more such exhibitions, I felt the need to improve my skills as a painter.” She went on to earn a degree in drawing and design from Parsons School of Design in America.
“That’s when my artwork changed. It became figurative and was free of the straight lines that I had got used to making, though I’m still influenced by textiles and continue to use some of the techniques and textures to my advantage,” she tells. Brinda has since experimented with acrylic, corrugated cardboard, cloth and metallic paper and excels in oils, acrylics and collages.
Her expansive home in Mumbai, which she shares with husband, architect Alfaz Miller, and their two daughters is the perfect example of a minimalist setting abound with vibrant art in textured layers with lines and geometric forms dominated by her favourite sunny yellows and rich reds.
In what she calls her ‘organised mess’ as an artist, Brinda also devotes time to the famous Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF), an annual event in Mumbai that takes place in February. “When I heard about an arts festival that was being held in Mumbai, I volunteered to help,” says Brinda. Over the years, she has served as its director and is proud to have contributed to bringing KGAF to its present popularity. “KGAF is now 20 years old and even though there have been arts festivals that have come and gone, KGAF remains iconic. I have a wonderful team to leave it all to, without whom I would have never been able to do it. We have launched several artists who have become famous, and for this reason many talented musicians, dancers, artists, etc. are proud to be associated with KGAF,” she says.
A vocal advocate of arts for the masses, Brinda is credited with bringing art to the public in Mumbai — The Khyber Art Wall Mural, The Maritime Heritage Mural, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and restoration and beautification of five Traffic Police chowkies – to name a few. “I’m extremely concerned about the deteriorating infrastructure of Mumbai and the environment and am therefore supportive of bringing art into public spaces. At KGAF, for instance, I see many young college students taking selfies next to art installations. Art is meant for the common man to enjoy and we have succeeded in this endeavour,” she says.
Brinda is all set for her next solo in September this year in New Delhi. “It will be along the lines of A Vanishing Point. Though the work will be new, it’s important to showcase this theme for a while. As an artist, I hope to keep growing,” she signs off.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2vpRuAm
via Today’s News Headlines
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