Art is a therapy for me – Pallav Chander

Artist Pallav Chander is back with his second solo show, Life Must Have Its Mysteries’, which according to the Delhi-based artist is autobiographical in nature. He has dared to use unconventional colours like turquoise and rust to create abstract works that are open for self-interpretation. This has been done deliberately because the artist has added several layers and elements to his works that he himself admits that “viewers will find different meaning every time they look at the paintings’. In a candid conversation with ACF, Pallav elaborates on his body of works, his inspirations and on finding his own language.
What is the main thought that strings the works together in this show?
The concept of the work is autobiographical in nature. Since I was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADH… reverse writing always used to happen in my writings. Also, I was always interested in psychology as a subject while I was in school. It basically deals with the fact that how human mind always tries to find some kind of sense in the words or numbers thrown at them. So, I have just gibberish in my artworks because I wanted to play with the mind of the viewer. This can easily be done in a three-dimensional way, for instance, in a sculpture, but I achieving something like that in a two-dimensional way is the hardest.
Eyes and dots are a recurring motif in these works. Why is the reason for this?
I have incorporated the errors of my academics into my works. For instance, reverse writing. You will find a lot of that in my works. In fact, what is interesting is that I have started using them as a language, which, in turn, has helped me develop my own style and vocabulary. Eyes are the most important elements in my works and that comes from my drama background. Using dot is more of a therapy and since I didn’t want to leave blank spaces, I just filled it with dots. They might look disorganised but it is more of organised chaos.
What kind of process do you follow in art making?
I go with the flow. Usually, I don’t make sketches, I just start painting. Many of my works here are a continuation of my previous paintings. The theme might be an extension but the subject will always be different. Also, I know my colour palette even before I hit the studio. The reason why I use vibrant colours is because I always saw my mother, Kanchan Chander, use bright colours, hence it came naturally to me. Also, turquoise, which you will see a lot in my works, is the most vibrant colour that gels beautifully with my colour scheme. However, what surprises me is that fact that not many artists have used it.