Q1. Tell us about your journey.

ArtCanB started way back in our childhood. Before art was called art and design was called design. Both of us took separate roads to reach the same destination. A desire to create Art and to make it easily available for people.

Q2. Your artworks created using sea shells and other objects are really beautiful. How do you come up with such concepts?

We are deeply moved by the beauty of everyday things. By choosing these objects as a medium, we are building on the exquisite beauty of nature.

It’s a reminder that beauty often arises from the mindful act of “seeing”. We always

try to stay connected with nature and implement the beauty in our artworks. 

Q3. You use a whole range of artistic mediums in a very interesting way, what inspires you?

There are often labels that put Art into categories. High Art & Low Art, Traditional & Contemporary Art, Pure Art and Handicraft.

But once you fall in love with the underlying emotion, the boundaries fade. For instance, I once found my wife painting on an old ivory coloured Sari, Once the Sari was full she moved to household items like pottery and vases. When even that was done we moved to glass bottles. So it’s an organic process where the art takes shape through whatever canvas/medium that presents itself.

Q4. We would love to know a bit about your creative process.

Our art arises from the way we see the world around us. It is informed by, rooted in but not limited to the stylistic roots of our culture. Like Pattachitra.

We are constantly experimenting with all kinds of objects, colours and techniques. More than product design it’s a form of self-exploration and self-expression for us. Every once in a while we stumble upon an idea that we think is worthy of the world around us.

At that point, we blend the traditional and conventional techniques of handicraft and craftsmanship to produce as many of these artworks as needed.

We don’t prepare for an exhibition or a show. We merely present the finished artworks that we have been working on till then.

Q5. How can Artists stay commercially viable in today’s day and age?

There are often pressures of marketplace that makes or breaks an artist. We have been lucky enough to realise our passion early and to find a process that encouraged “playful innovation” as much as commercially viable craftsmanship.

One of the main reasons we started ArtCanBe was that great Art has always been priced out of everyone’s reach. Art in our opinion should be unconditionally inclusive. And once you break down the barriers of Gallery Based Art, you notice the rich and vibrant history of our handicrafts and folk art craftsmanship. We wanted to bring these worlds closer. The aesthetics of contemporary style combined with the unassuming street savvy of Folk Art and Handicrafts. In short,

Find your vibe, find your tribe and keep going once you do.