Finding a spiritual connection with art

Shreyas Shankar has indulged himself in some form of art since his 11th grade. After school, he pursued graphic design, art, martial arts and yoga very seriously. It is after his graduation in Graphic Design that he took up painting as a profession. A differently-abled person, Shreyas will be holding his first ever art exhibition in the city. Ahead of it, the youngster spoke to us about his life and dreams.

“I am a practising yogi and martial artist and I use the resultant knowledge and skill to paint and sketch pictures. I try to build my emotional, physical and spiritual strength, in order to create artwork using the ideas gained from my other practices. I have been doing this method of art for the last four years,” he reveals.

The art exhibition, titled ‘The Spiritual Spiral — An exploration into the language of the soul’, will showcase the artist’s journey into the spiritual realm. Commenting on his first art expo, Shreyas says, “In the spiritual world, it is believed that whatever we focus on, we will go towards it in a spiral. My aim is to communicate about my spiritual experiences — what is impossible to talk about but can be shown through colours, patterns and shapes as a series of paintings. The works are inspired by how certain meditation practices made me feel and what I realised about the human body, mind and soul.”

One of the artworks, Thermal Portrait, was created after an intense bout of meditation. “I made this artwork to show that at the time of inner understanding, I was able to feel my inner body temperature, where the body was straining, where it was ecstatic or negative. This is why I called it Thermal Portrait,” smiles the youngster.

Shreyas was exposed to martial arts when he was a five-year-old and became fascinated by it because he hasn’t seen that kind of physical capability in normal life. “During my school days, I remember sitting in class with such back pain from overworking and inefficient learning. I took up running to alleviate the pain — I ran short distance races in school drawing applause from those who watched. They seemed to know what it must take for a kid of very little physical stature to run free,” he says.

His realisation of who he could become happened while studying graphic design in Bengaluru. “I came back as an artist who was able to do marathons and art with equal fervour. All thanks to the absence of the word ‘no’ in my life for three months.”

For Shreyas, art is the perfect medium, because it gave him a chance to explore life. “It has been very difficult to go against conventions and expectations. But that is the road to innovation and betterment.”

The road he has travelled has been a harsh teacher, but also the best. “I will keep exercising my restless spirit, come what may. At the end, I would like to feel the comfort of having been the best human I can be with suitable expression in the form of paintings,” he says on a parting note.