Awakening the psyche with her strokes
Women in Art: Poojitha Menon
The lovely co-founder of 27Telawi, a boutique art space in Bangsar originally hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. She came to Malaysia in 2002 after her marriage and by her own admission is a self-taught artist who did not obtain much formal training in art, save for what she was exposed to since her early youth.
Eve Writes | 01 October 2019
Poojitha grew up in an environment where art is something respected and valued. Art and culture is in her blood - 'art chooses her,’ she says, thus, her artistic skills have been continuously developing over the years through diligent self-study, trial and error, and the occasional critique from artist friends she has made along the way.
The Eve Squad caught up with her recently in the eve of her latest exhibition in conjunction with ‘World Heart Day, 2019 at the KL City Art Gallery and cajoled her to share her thoughts on her work, her life, about Art in Malaysia (her 2nd home) and about moving forward.
How did you come about becoming a full time artist?
Art and culture is in my blood. Having a father who was an avid antique collector, the love for heritage antiques runs through my veins. My late father had a vast collection of antiquities from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have been carefully and lovingly transported through an arduous journey - now proudly exhibited at home in Kuala Lumpur. I am most comfortable when I am being surrounded by designs of old Asia with a touch of contemporary. I love concepts about revival of old Asia and hope through the arts we can connect deeper to our roots and be more self-assured, less judgmental and confidently proud of our various blends of Asian heritage and culture.
Art in Malaysia – there’s still a lot that needs to get done but how do you see yourself creating or contributing to that change?
Simply by doing art with a voice, art that pushes boundaries and tells a story. I am working on a pet project regarding art and yoga for a certain community.
As they are, do you see any young Malaysian spearheading the art scene in the near future?
Art transcends all ages. As long as it has a certain emotive story, art can motivate, inspire and transform and yet fill gaps and have a social and emotive approach.
Do you encourage your children to have role models? If they have one (or two), what qualities would you encourage them to appreciate in their role model?
No one in particular, but I nag them (constantly) to follow and learn from people who have ambitions, who are visionaries and to be with people who uplift you and make you better; but my husband and I hope our children grow up to be intellectually inspiring, kind, appreciative of their culture , hardworking and respectful individuals. We teach our kids to have an opinion, to voice their thoughts and to stand up to something that’s not right; in a respectful manner. I have always told my kids to stand out and never try to fit in. In our home being weird is okay and normal is boring.
Who would you consider inspiring Malaysians?
I can’t pick a favourite but if I must then it’s the old forgotten makciks and pakciks who stick to their trade for decades to come, committed to their trade day in and day out, no matter what; some even now at the age of 80+years.
Which other artists do you look up to? Or peers that you admire?
Malaysian Artists, Ahmad Zakii Anwar and Stephen Menon and so many more.
Tell us a bit about your work for this exhibition (at City Art Gallery)
BADAN is an ongoing collection of semi-realistic figurative works, thematically related to current affairs; be it social, personal or political, represented both in animal and human forms. In this journey of mine, I draw inspiration from the daily happenings around me and I have tried to empty them onto the canvas, from my unique point of view, in a way, where the work becomes a talking point, coaxing the viewer to engage, contemplate, question the artwork and it's subject matter. This, in my opinion is the true purpose of my work.
The Boy
Oil on canvas, 2018
Described the most challenging thing / your most challenging experience to date?
Oh! I have had so many challenging times in my life and even now, I am still trying to overcome a few of them, but the most painful is seeing my father pass on, out of the blue, one early morning in front of my very own eyes and there was nothing I could do to save him. I was 19 and my sister was 10. We are still dealing with this gaping wound. He was 47yrs old, a health freak, gym regular and an occasional drinker.
What Are Your 3 Biggest Accomplishments?
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My spiritual growth and the painful lessons I was taught, overcoming depression, sticking to my values.
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Sticking with art even though I was so close to giving it up many many times
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Circumambulate Mt Kailash at an altitude of almost 19000ft; part of the Himalayan Ranges.
Choose Love
Oil on canvas, 2018
With all that you have experienced what would you say to your 18 year old self?
To travel the world, study, go on adventure trips, meditate, learn yoga from a gurukul, gather experiences, find a cause and stick to it and so much more.
How would someone write about your life for a magazine or newspaper?
More than a magazine I sometimes ask my self, how would I like to be remembered? Or what would my obituary look like? And I hope it says. - "Dedicated, devoted, loyal, crazy, loving, wild daughter, sister, wife and mother, true friend, art lover and God’s child, born to leave a legacy behind."
And so there you have it – Poojitha in her own words, frank, candid and with much conviction is someone who clearly knows her truth.
Catch the World Heart Day Art Exhibition @KL City Gallery from 29 September to 29th October. You can also connect with Poojitha on Instagram at @artbypoojithamenon and check out @27Telawi too - a unique learning melting pot for children and adults to learn art, craft, culture, language, history, and a cozy venue to hold private events.
To see more of Poojitha's mesmerising artwork, visit the Eve Shop Art here.
