Exploring the Canvas of Emotions: An Interview with Artist and Author Riddhima Sen

Interview by Tanima Shaw

In this insightful interview, we dive deep into the creative world of Riddhima, a talented artist and author who seamlessly balances both crafts while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Jadavpur University. From an early age, painting became a powerful form of self-expression, helping Riddhima channel emotions into evocative artworks. The conversation uncovers the inspirations behind their unique pieces, their time management strategies, and how painting serves as both a personal outlet and a medium to connect with others. With plans for future works rooted in history and society, Riddhima shares a vision of art as an agent of change.

What inspired you to take up painting?

Art has been an integral part of my childhood and I have been painting since a young age because it helped me express my emotions on a large scale. Something that inspired me to take up painting was my desire to express my inner emotions and channelise them in the form of Art so that they could be expressed to the world, people could communicate with me or I could communicate with them through my paintings.

Who is your Favourite painter?

There is a new painter, Amrita Sethi. Her artwork, I have been revisiting them again. She is my favourite because of the post – impressionist paintings she made and how she used colours and strokes to create different types of modern Indian Art.

You are an Author and also a Painter. How do you make time for both professions?

Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.I am in 3rd year right now and sixth semester classes have just commenced from last week. As of now, working on the paintings and books is a bit hectic because I have my classes. Even till last week I was free because I did not have many classes. So, my go to for managing both writing and painting together is making out time on weekends because weekends are the days I have the most time out of all the days in the week, because on weekdays I am busy with college and classes. I have a Planner, basically I write it down in a notebook where I write how much time I contribute to everything, be it studies, content writing , writing and painting. It helps me separate time into various sections so that I can distribute time effectively, so that it does not overlap. I try to make as much time as possible for both and divide it equally so that I can manage all the things. Time management is a skill that is really needed in today’s times because we cannot focus on a single thing. That is my approach but it is sometimes difficult as the Planner always does not help. So, I try to maintain my calm and do as much as I can easily and comfortably to avoid pressure.

Is there any concept on which you are planning to do a Painting next?

Recently in a conversation with an acquaintance of mine, there was a suggestion that I can make a painting based on history. That painting will probably show an ancient building where a person is working to construct the building or temple. So, I am planning to make a painting which existed in ancient times but is in ruins right now , something that would convey the essence of history ( something that was there in the past but is no longer there in the present).

How is painting a medium for you to express your emotions?

I would like to refer to one of my paintings which I made in Class 12th. It portrays a human figure as the house, there are windows. I also portrayed a storm in the background which represents all the obstacles human beings face be it mental, physical, financial etc. And beneath the cloudy sky I depicted a ground filled with with different flowers so when I was making the painting the emotions I was trying to convey was that ‘even though life is very difficult at times and we cannot always be calm , be ourselves, we should still believe in ourselves and believe that there is a silver lining behind every cloud’. I tried to express my own emotions that not everything is supposed to be perfect, that is how the world is. I also do abstract art through which I try to depict that imperfection is also perfect. There is no such thing as perfect art, according to me. Art is perceptive and varies from one person to another. I believe that emotions that somehow lend a hand in bringing about change in society. I have never done a social painting before but I plan to do one and I feel that through my painting that I can convey a positive message.