This week, we are thrilled to host an interview with Siuli, a talented London-based visual artist. Siuli predominantly works with paintings and occasionally delves into film. Her identity deeply influences her work as she comments on the British Raj and its effects on the South Asian diaspora.
Her paintings are characterized by dramatic shadows, a limited color palette, and a striking neon pink underpainting. These elements emphasize the intense emotions inherited from forced mass migration and human suffering under colonial rule. Iconographies of wheels and trains frequently appear in her work, symbolizing the complex legacy of the British railway systems in South Asia and the ongoing state of movement and change within the diaspora.
We had the pleasure to meet her as part of our ''Loss & Discovery'' exhibition in March and this is a great opportunity to share her work and story.
What initially drew you to the medium of visual art, and how has your relationship with it evolved over time?
I think it really started when I started visiting galleries during my teenage years. I would constantly visit the main galleries in London that hold all the classics and I remember just being in absolute awe with the sheer size and detail. I don’t think this has changed much over the years! I love history and art and looking at the classics for hours fulfills that for me.
Despite my love for the classics not changing, I definitely think the way I view art has evolved over time.
In the beginning I would look at the image as a whole and feel quite removed from it almost. It felt so untouchable. Divine almost. But as I began studying and practicing painting and gaining more knowledge, I look at the details more now. In comparison, when I look at a classic painting now, I go close to it to observe the paint and canvas as an entity rather than the product it is. I look out for small details. For instance if there is bubbling in an area of a painting that means it was exposed to heat, likely displayed above a fireplace. I look out for details in the brush strokes to see how the artist rendered the painting, to take some tricks from their book. I think my relationship first began as a bystander, just observing in the most bare minimum way. Now I think I pick the painting apart and contextualise it a lot more.
Could you describe a significant moment or experience that influenced your artistic direction or the themes you explore in your work?
My artistic direction is a cultivation of different things I’ve learned in university studying art. A significant moment would be my second year of university when I recreated classic paintings through a post-colonial lens. This was the first moment I realised that it fulfilled me to make art that align with my personal ideologies. The next would be this past year, my final year of university when I started using neon pink/warm minimal colour palette. Though 2 years in the making, it allowed for my signature style to finally emerge into what it is today.
From second year, I learned that I enjoyed exploring post-colonial themes and using a minimal colour palette. During this time I was using different shades of burnt umber which is a rich cool brown.
Going into final year, I knew I wanted to stick to the same themes and stick to a simplified pallette - it was just the question of what colour I should use. I had purchased a good amount of new oil paints in colours I’ve never used before. These were different pastel and neon colours. First I narrowed it down to neon colours, because my second year paintings were very neutral and I wanted this year’s body of work to stand out. Then out of all the neon colours I had, I chose pink - I was drawn to pink for some reason and I’ve always wanted to paint with it. And that’s how the signature neon pink attribute of my paintings were born.
What message or experience do you hope viewers take away from your paintings?
How do you think your work contributes to the broader conversation about colonialism and its lasting impacts?
The message I want people to take away is that this did, can and will affect anyone. Though my paintings specifically are made in relation to the Partition of the subcontinent of India, these imageries can be applied to other past atrocities and to atrocities happening now in the contemporary. I hope to spark conversation and education. I want viewers to learn about the brutality that happened to my people and I want them to be able to connect other injustices in the world to the images I present - of the past and the present.
I firmly believe that acts of colonialism and imperialism will always have consequences, no matter how many years have past and no matter how many times you are told to get over it or to find the advantages. Me painting what I paint is already a consequence of colonialism and its’ lasting impact. As a first generation Indian artist living in the UK, the very power that colonised where my family is from is a consequence of colonialism. I hope through my existence as person and as an artist, the conversation of the impact of colonialism stays alive. Remembrance is a form of resistance, and the oppressor will always try to minimise this. I create my paintings with this in mind, always.
Are there any artists, movements, or cultural influences that have had a significant impact on your artistic development? If so, how do they manifest in your work?
Caravaggio is a huge artistic inspiration for me because I loved the way he used dramatic lighting and composed his paintings in a theatrical way. My use of bold shadows definitely came from admiring his work.
Are there any new themes or techniques you are interested in exploring in your future work? How do you see your art evolving as you continue to explore your personal and cultural history?
I definitely want to explore other neon colours and colour palettes in general. I want to move my way through the new oil paints I had purchased and see where that leads me! I see myself exploring different subject matters but in the same art style but I think my main passion and priority would be to keep working on the post-colonial paintings.
After the conclusion of our exhibition ‘’ The State in Between: Loss & Discovery’’, I am curious about your overall experience. What stood out to you as unique or memorable about this particular showing of your work?
I loved how every artist expressed themselves in relation to the theme and how it all beautifully came out looking together collectively in relation to each other. It was a great experience meeting with the artists and hearing what they had to say about their artwork. It’s always good and refreshing to come out of your own art bubble and hear others talk about their craft and what motivates them.
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