Interview
Christine Roychowdhury
Christine Roychowdhury studied art at Goldsmith’s college in the 1980s. This greatly influenced her approach to art and belief that art should work on a visual, intellectual, and emotional basis.
Christine was born in Lancashire, and brought up as a woman within a working-class family. She comes at art from that point. She looks at art that is not normally regarded as important—that has slipped through the cracks of history, which has predominantly been dominated by male points of view.
Christine looks at how relationships between mothers and daughters work, both as a power struggle and a support, and how women are viewed in society and at work.
She has exhibited in several galleries, including the Manchester City Gallery, Salford Gallery, and Aberdeen art Gallery. She also took part in the Scottish Portrait Awards 2018. In 2020, she had two works selected: ‘This Is Going to Hurt’ and ‘Artist and Mother’.
Christine has taken part in the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year, where she painted Doreen Mantel and appeared on BBC Northwest. She works mainly in oils on canvas with some mixed media. She produces predominantly large-scale paintings looking at viewpoints, and figures feature frequently within her work.
She has been shortlisted 4 times for BP Portrait Exhibition Open Studios Northeast NEOS 2018 – 2021. She has had work published in an international magazine ‘Art Talks’, including an essay ‘Rivers of Blood’.
Christine has also taken part in the Welsh 54 Group collaborative.
What is your background and how did you start your journey?
“My father was always interested in art, but the nearest he could come to it was to become a painter and decorator. From a young age, I painted with him using his oil paints.
My mother was a school cook, and she had a huge influence on my approach to life. I went to Goldsmith’s College of Art in London to study art, which encouraged work based upon ideas and thought.”
What inspires you most?
“I try to produce non-elitist art which, although based on specific ideas, describes the universal. It refers to the mundane in life, and relationships are at the core of the work I produce.”
“I desire to produce work which covers areas that have been neglected, but always with an emotional prompt, and expressive in its use of color and texture.
I like the work to pop.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I look at themes such as time, ageing, prejudice, preconceptions, and relationships.My work is, by nature, political. It looks at education, the news, ambition, and class. A theme I return to over and over again is ‘women at work and the class divide’.
My work ‘Pandemic 2020’ looked at the value given to the lives of the elderly during the pandemic. My painting ‘This is Going to Hurt’ refers to the heartbreaking consequences of choices made. It is about the lack of support in the NHS for young doctors and the amount of pressure and stress put upon young doctors.
The puppeteer describes the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, which is a game of power and love. It depicts myself and my mother.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is figurative. Whilst having work exhibited in the Scottish Portrait award and taking part in the Sky Portrait artist of the Year, I wouldn’t describe my work as a classical portrait.
My work captures the likeness of the person, but aims to go further than this and capture their relationships and character.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Artist such as Gentileschi and Paula Rego have influenced me a lot, mostly for their political content, and Freud and Bonnard for their techniques.”
What is your creative process like?
“I generally start with an idea — either something looked at frequently, or something stumbled across. Gradually, usually over a couple of months, it evolves into specific content. A compositional idea is drawn out and worked on, looking at different viewpoints and ways of seeing.
I don’t like a single viewpoint within my work, as this can be too photographic and singular, not as one would naturally look and think. Color is also used to create bounce and energy, and emotional impact and atmosphere.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Culture adds value to society. It’s a luxury add-on that gives meaning to life and makes it more than an existence. It is controversial, innovative, and political, questioning values.
In my case, it’s about making a case for equality whilst creating something seductive and beautiful, even when ugly. I worry that art will continue to be elitist and a closed group, open only to those of influence and financial freedom.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“This year, I’ll be taking part in the touring exhibition and book for the Welsh 56 exhibition Cross Purposes.
Other exhibitions I’ve taken part in include:
2022 - Aberdeen Art Gallery.
- Theo Paphitis prize Exhibition London.
- The Scottish Royal Academy.
2020 - The Scottish Portrait Awards.
2018 - The Scottish Portrait Awards.”
Website: www.artandbailey.co.uk
Instagram: @christineroychowdhury
