Interview
Charu Chopra
Charu is a free-thinker, a wild-spirit, a rebel of all things ‘dictated’. She feels, and helps you feel.
Her paintings are a concoction of emotions, expressed through colors, shaken and stirred with various brushes and strokes, all designed to help you find a piece that matches your spirit.
Art has to be accessible and affordable for all to own, enjoy, and appreciate. This is Charu’s mission, helping everyone connect with their artistic side — and she’s just getting started!
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I’m an IT engineer and I come from a family of engineers and software experts. However, my head and heart have always been a mix of the realistic and the abstract. I don’t have any formal education in art or painting. I started painting when I was a child and would experiment with mediums, art forms, and styles.
5 years ago, I took to painting again as a form of stress release, grounding myself and finding my center. I haven’t stopped since. In the last 5 years, I have worked on over 300 pieces and done 8 commission pieces. Most of my work is acrylic abstracts and watercolor paintings. However, I like to dabble once in a while in mixed media, portraits, and Indian art forms like madhubani and warli.”
What inspires you most?
“My biggest inspiration is emotions. Most of my paintings stem from how I’m feeling or how people around me are feeling. I capture the expression of feelings and emotions on paper and canvas. Feelings are translated into flowers, landscapes, seascapes, expressions, human forms, and abstract patterns.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I’m agnostic to themes. I explore a wide range; anything that conveys a message, a feeling, an emotion. Every painting has a hidden meaning. Every painting is open for interpretation. Every painting has a story behind it.”
“I would describe my work as a canvas painted with my deepest thoughts.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is modern, abstract expressionism. It’s fluid and amateurish, yet it’s full of life, strokes, hues, and depth. It’s the kind of work you’d like to take home and keep by your bedside or hang on the wall where you can see it everyday. It’s positive, cheerful, affirmative, and all things life.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m in awe of all artists that practice self-expression. Names and labels don’t count. You don’t need to have sold a masterpiece to be my favorite. If your work has soul, it will appeal to me. It takes a lot of commitment, flair, passion, and skill to make the smallest of expressionist art, and I’m a fan of yours if that’s what you create!”
What is your creative process like?
“It’s free-flowing, chaotic, and fun. When I encounter a picture or a person and feel like capturing the emotion on canvas, I let the feeling take over. I just pull out a canvas and start. I can sketch on napkins, behind parking tickets, on bills, or scribble on my phone. When the moment connects with me, I just need to put it down. I generally like to finish a painting in one go, and rarely start multiple pieces at the same time. However, there have been times when a piece has really compelled me, so I just take a note of what comes to mind and let it simmer.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Everybody has and needs a way of expressing themselves. Artists help people find that expression through art. Art is a way of finding your feelings and emotions through someone else’s creations. Because of the pandemic and the resulting trauma and healing that’s needed, all art forms are going to take center stage in holding the society together.”
Instagram: @thecocktail.art
