Jyoti is a practising artist working in London. She graduated with MA in Fine Art from City and Guilds London Art School in 2021 where she also represented the student voice on the Trustee Board as co-Chair of Students. Having graduated from Central St Martins in the 90s, she took a period away from painting to follow a career in Fashion and Business Management. These interim years were followed by a return to making large-scale paintings in the new millennium. In 2016, she became the founder of PaintSpaces Studio, an artist-led working studio and gallery, where works can be viewed in an informal setting.
Currently, artworks from her most recent body of works on paper, titled ‘An Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ were selected for the ING Discerning Eye exhibition in November 2022, and the Society of Women Artists 161st annual open exhibition at the Mall Galleries, SW1.
What is the impetus of art, especially in the post-pandemic world?
Art is such a broad field, and for me somewhere in the zone of production & exhibition, a profound need & connection is met for humans and society. This is of course vital in a post-pandemic world where humans are emerging from a phase of introspection and isolation. Art is not a thing, it’s an action which facilitates that necessity to connect & engage through enjoyment & inner reflection.
Anyone who witnesses creativity flowing can breed & expand creativity in their own lives, it’s the lifeblood that keeps us ticking.I think the necessity for this dynamism in our lives can be truly underrated.
What are the avenues for young artists, especially women to showcase their work in the current scenario?
Right now there are many more avenues for artists to showcase their work than say even 10 years ago. Art fairs and art competitions are visible and accessible on social media platforms as well as options to exhibit in public places through artist-led initiatives. Many of the organisations that run competitions are truly aware of the need for representation of the female voice due to a huge lack of it in the past. If you are promoting the female voice, you’re alive at the right time, the world is your oyster right now!
What does it take as an artist to not just be able to translate something on the canvas, but also to make sure you get the right price for your work?
Ensuring you get the right price for your work can be tricky. As an emerging artist, the time and material cost alone of making work is not a true reflection of it, and the value of original ideas can be totally dismissed by buyers. There’s a balance to be had here, and being realistic and fair has to feature when equating a price to the work. Whilst having some sort of formal art education, the material cost, time & the size of work can give a helpful equation, but it’s also worth noting that you might not sell anything if you over-price it. Times are changing and I have had the pleasure to work with art consultants who value the true price an artist deserves for their work, but emerging artists need to be prepared that people will want to offer less than you price your work at.
What would be your advice to more women like you who want to pursue a career similar to yours?
My advice would be to use your drive and voice to find the right places to show your work & have confidence in it, it is valuable! Be brave; an artist’s career can have monumental shifts in success & dry periods. Even Michaelangelo got commissions rejected! Financially, it’s hard to survive & taking on another job role can be a great way to sustain your own practice. The art world is subjective, remember that when you get rejection letters. Find ways to manage the emotional side which will undoubtedly come with highs and lows.
How can women like you change the narrative of the art and culture industry?
Women and more specifically women of colour have been underrepresented for years, and this is evident when we look back in art history to see how few museums and galleries exhibited British Asian female artists. As an abstract artist, the materials I use reflect my lived experience. My perspective and impetus to make work through a holistic non-dominant process reflect a second-generation migrant voice, and this of course can set the tone for the future in terms of a richer art narrative.
Photo credit: Lovisa Ranta @ Artiq
