Regan Jane Hayward chats with First Place Award Winner, Kulwant Singh, as part of an ongoing series of candid conversations with practicing artists.
0:03 Regan: Welcome to Beaux Arts Brampton’s Candid Conversations with Artists. My name is Regan Jane Hayward and I’m a Director/Curator who is chatting today with Beaux Arts member, visual artist Kulwant Singh whose artwork titled ‘Man In Red Turban’ won first place, as juried by international artist Olaf for our Beaux Arts Gallery’s 13th Annual Fine Art Exhibition. So, I wanted to welcome Kulwant here with us today, thank you Kulwant for meeting to have a candid conversation.
Kulwant: Thank you, Regan and good morning.
0:39 Regan: Good to be here! I thought we would start, Kulwant, maybe you could share with our listeners how did you get started with painting?
Kulwant: In the starting, in my schooling, I start participating in painting competitions, in grade 6, I think, and completing high school after I joined school for art program, I completed my graduate degree in drawing and painting. And I complete other degree in history of art. I was topper in the university and the university awarded me with a medal.
1:41 Regan: Very nice, nice, very nice! Well, do you have a favourite subject to paint when you’re making your body of work?
Kulwant: Normally, I like to paint figures, human figures, especially. I feel I can communicate more, better way in the faces, in the figures and I can communicate with the souls, and especially so many people told me my painting’s subject’s eyes are talking with people. That’s why I’m very interested to paint figures.
2:42 Regan: So we would say portrait work?
Kulwant: Yes.
2:45 Regan: The different artwork that you’ve painted over the course of your career. Fascinating! And interestingly enough, as we spoke, Kulwant, our juror at the 13th Annual Exhibition at Beaux Arts had chose your work because of the eyes and the hands of the portrait that you painted of the man in the red turban. And so you definitely achieved that with your work, that’s for certain! Absolutely!
3:14 Regan: Are you working on any new figures or portraits as you go forward in this year and next year?
Kulwant: Yes, I do. I’m planning to do my solo show end of this year or start of next year.
Regan: Beautiful! Will that be a different collection, I would imagine?
Kulwant: Yeah, I’m trying to paint our current subject, everybody is involved with cellphones, so I’m trying to capture those subjects, people are busy with their phones instead of enjoying nature or something else. They are very, very focused with the devices. So, I’m doing that. And same time, other subjects as well. Even beside the figures, the nature, landscapes and other subjects inspires me to paint those landscapes and still lifes. Sometimes I do those things, too. And I’m planning to add some of the landscapes in my exhibition, as well.
4:52 Regan: Beautiful! Now, I know some artists, they’ll go out on their travels and they’ll have different methods to capture the subjects that they’re painting. Do you have a particular way for your portraits, or your now, as you mention, your landscapes? Will you go and take pictures, will you sketch, will you, draw, how do you capture, to bring it back into the studio and create your magnificent work with painting?
Kulwant: I do both way, I do some live sketches as well. And, if there is some dramatic effects of a storm or clouds, then I definitely prefer to collect the pictures.
5:43 Regan: You take photographs and capture them that way?
Kulwant: Yes, yeah.
5:49 Regan: Ooh, exciting! So, you’ll have to share with our listeners how they can find you online and follow you.
Kulwant: On Facebook, I have a Facebook page named Kulwantartist and same ID on my Instagram page: Kulwantartist, they can find me over there. So, my website is coming in maybe couple months. It is in process right now.
6:23 Regan: Excellent, it’s a work in progress; it’s building as we go, well that’s great! Well, it was so good, you know I wanted a few moments of your time, just to learn a bit, and introduce you, Kulwant, to our listeners. And I wanted to thank you for your time today.
Kulwant: Thank you, Regan for this opportunity.
Regan: No, I appreciate it and we’ll have to do it again when you get closer to launching your solo exhibition, maybe, at the end of the year.
Kulwant: Yes.
Regan: Oh good, very good. Thank you, everyone, for tuning in today and be sure to visit beauxartsbrampton.org for more information on our exhibitions, activations and our artist members. Thank you and take care.
Kulwant: Thank you!
