We're glad to have you here. Why don’t you start with introducing yourself to our readers & audience ?
Tanmoy - Hi, I'm Tanmoy Kayesen, an artist and a designer originally from Hyderabad, Telangana, now based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra. As an artist I make work that serves as a reflective documentation of my lived experiences along with the role of reality and fiction and how I personally experience this amalgamation as a whole mysterious-ever- evolving-entity plays a dominant role.
Themes such as the absurd nature of reality, the darker depths of human psychology, questioning the idea of home, the conditionality and unconditionality of love, the debate between nature versus nurture, the concept of freedom, as well as the meaning of life, are the types of questions and personal judgments present within my work.
You’ve been working with various disciplines for your craft, can you define your style & What ethos & inspirations do you have about it?
Tanmoy - My primary medium of expression has always been black ballpoint pen drawings on paper, I fell in love with ballpoint pens when I first started using them in middle school.
It’s been the only medium so far that I have been able to experience true flow-state in,
As I can get lost in the work without having to make any kind of technical decisions that come with other mediums and also I love the amount of gradients you can achieve with a ballpoint pen, when used patiently. I find my expression through black ballpoint drawings to be accurate representations of my emotional and psychological state. However, every once in a while when an external inspiration strikes, or when I experience a change in and/or around me I stray into other mediums like concrete, fabric, clay and try new things.
Being based in India, how has the cultural context influenced your work? Are there specific instances where the cultural heritage of India has played a role in shaping your craft? If not then what have been the influences over your craft?
Tanmoy - Growing up in a highly protective environment during my formative years, coupled with a lack of direct connection to cultural influences due to my introverted family upbringing, meant I didn't have many external influences, cultural or otherwise. As a consequence, I turned inward, crafting a world of my own internally. Much of my work is shaped by my emotions, state of mind, and my personal interpretation, or perhaps misinterpretation, of the reality surrounding me. In case of any gaps in reality, I would simply fill them with fiction.
Who are some of the most influential people to you & why?
Tanmoy - My mother, who holds a degree in BFA, has always made paintings and drawings, which I have grown up around, have to an extent inspired me to make art and I’ve been making art ever since I was a little kid. Apart from that artists like James Jean, Aaron Horkey, Ian Bertram, Anton Vill, Allison Sommers and many others have had a significant influence on me as I've developed my own visual vocabulary. I'm drawn to their work because of the complex visuals and narratives, as well as the dark and surreal themes, which align with my own work. Like me, they also primarily work with traditional mediums like pen and paper, which also served as an instant connection for me.
Behind every Artist, there are often untold stories that resonate emotionally. Could you share a particular moment or story in the past that had a profound impact on you?
Tanmoy - I can’t put a finger on a single event from my life as such but I've often felt less adept in the ways that the world typically values, Academics and sports weren't my forte, and I was pretty introverted and awkward growing up. This led to feelings of shame and not quite fitting in anywhere. Additionally, growing up in an overly protective environment meant I wasn't encouraged to freely interact with the world. As I got older, the world and its workings seemed increasingly mysterious to me. I struggled to grasp things firmly and feel certain about them, which I believe is reflected in my work—an outlandish world full of unresolvable complexities that I must maneuver through and make sense of. If I can't, then I fictionalize it to fill those gaps in reality for myself.
Talk to us about your workflow & mind-set around working with ceramics & how it is different from your pen & paper work. What drove you to change materials & the essence behind it?
Tanmoy - My process, whether it's drawing or sculpture, has always been intuitive. I never start with a plan or a specific end goal in mind. Instead, I begin at a random point, guided by the emotion I'm feeling in the moment, and progress from there. Usually, during the creative process, I reach a moment of realization or inspiration where a direction emerges. Once I have that direction, I work towards achieving it.
In my concrete projects, besides the intuitive process, I really enjoy the creative aspect of making temporary moulds. When creating a mould, my process generally involves gathering various objects found around me—on the road, by the beach, waste from mechanic shops, waste from daily purchases, expired medicine tablets, rocks, literally anything and everything that I find interesting. And then there is this element of surprise waiting for you, until the concrete sets and there is this anticipation, because you don’t really know what’s going to come out of it. I think that’s the best part, it’s exciting.
Do you have a certain vision about the kind of work you do for the future?
Tanmoy - My goal has always been to pursue my personal work full-time, but like my work, my approach has been more intuitive than strategic, so it hasn't quite materialized yet. However, I'm actively working to change that by seeking out collaborations with artists who work in different mediums. This allows me to continue creating my beloved drawings while also branching out and exploring new avenues. I don't have a concrete plan, and for the most part, I'm okay with that—I enjoy being surprised by life.
Tanmoy Kayesan
.png){kind=logo}
Comments