Artist Interview: Maheshwar Sinha
Maheshwar is a self-taught artist and author who graduated from Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. Nature and women have always inspired him. His paintings and Artworks are widely published in India and in overseas literary-art journals. He also writes in Hindi and English, including short stories, novels, and articles that have been extensively published.
Maheshwar's piece, The Union, was published by MoonLit Getaway in November 2024.
INTERVIEW
MG: What got you into art?
MS: As far as I try to remember and dick down in my childhood, I see myself being indulged with clay or colors and paper, playing with them. Before I even understood the concept, before I even knew to ask “what’s art?” My parents began to understand that I needed things to color with and books to draw in, and since then my journey of art has persisted, slow but steady. I know it will never end., I know this is not a factual answer yet, but the art and the artist are never composed of facts. If one gives a fixed answer of perfect shape and size, they are not truly talking about the art or the arist.
MG: Tell us more about The Union—what inspired it? What makes it unique?
MS: In general, I love to depict male and female as universal entities. Sometimes, I feel the existence of both as a single unit. Even nature and all creatures seem like one. One effects the other and vice versa.
I remember being on a train during a rush, though I was lucky enough to get a seat. The carriage was occupied by couples, all members of the working class. They got their dinner together and, even in their discomfort where space was tight, they fell asleep in their laps—holding each other! That moment stuck with me and lead me to think that togetherness has a deep meaning. This world may be dis-integrated, but we make it integrated.
MG: Are you currently working on anything else?
MS: Yes, I love to work and work.
Currently, I’m painting a woman who is sitting, a white flower in her hand and the same one in her hair, signifying the need for purity and peace in our current world. Also, this painting (oil on canvas, 36”-48”) shows brush movement like the flow of a river. Where it starts and where it’s going to stop is a question that depends on the viewer—a philosophic touch.
MG: What’s your favorite piece you've ever made? Why is it your favorite?
MS: All my pieces are in my favorite. Because, One doesn’t just create, one is created as well. When I project my mind in a particular shape and color, then my work becomes dictatorial. I’m not a dictator, I’m an artist and my works suggest what I actually want to be, what I actually am. My pieces let me learn and, in the process, we both create each other. My subject comes to me, and consequently, I turn to it. So, I need just half-credit. Still, my favorites are those works that have surprised me, somehow-–through colors, texture, composition. My favorites are not entire pieces, but the parts that came unexpectedly!
MG: Are there any artists that inspire the way you make your pieces?
MS: I think I’m a cruel viewer and reviewer of any artworks (I am a dictator, then). On the other hand, I’m a very emotional reader. When I get a story where I relate to the character, I can feel their struggles and conflicts! Still, I do appreciate many artists of my country and across. Van Gogh is my hero! And I admire Manjeet Baba, Hussain, Amrita and Shergil, just to name a few!
MG: Do you have any social media you'd like to share?
MG: Do you have any advice for other artists?
MS: Learn from the textbook, and then create your own!
