- creativeartschat
An Interview with Abstract Artist Juee Oberoi
On the surface are an enchanting myriad of colours and textures, and underneath are the artists’ interpretation and meaning, all conveyed in a sublime abstract form.
The beautiful artwork of Juee Oberoi is currently on display on her Instagram and Twitter pages. CAC is proud to present an interview with Juee and to introduce you to her stunning work.
Please talk a bit about where you grew up and where you live now...
I was born in the maximum city Mumbai in India and partially grew up in Pune, a city four hours away from Mumbai. Life in a metro was difficult as I used to fall under the category of urban poor back then. The situation got better, as I grew up.
When I was born we used to live in a very small apartment (two rooms) with seven people, where personal space was never an option. Since then, life has been a roller coaster ride – from moving to Pune and coming back to Mumbai, trying my hand at animation to working as a public relations manager for ten years to make the ends meet.
My life changed multi folds when I met my very talented and farsighted husband in college. I currently live with him in Mumbai along with our two dogs – Eva and Loki.
How did you discover art?
My grandfather Prabhakar Jogdand was an amazing commercial artist. He was my role model, as I was growing up but his wife - my grandmother and my mother are the people who actually taught me the tips and tricks of art. However, it was just a hobby for many years, as nobody in those days believed that it can be a career choice.
In 2020 before Corona entered our lives, I realized that I was not living my life to its true potential, as I was never really interested in Public Relations and wanted to explore something that I was good at.
In March 2020, when the lockdown was announced, it was a really upsetting time for many of us, nevertheless it has been a boon in disguise to me. I decided to get in to visual arts. Initially, I started practicing by checking up reference material online and improved on my skills as I practiced it daily. Soon I started getting orders and I proudly call myself an artist now.
What themes in your work are important to you?
I truly believe that art can bring a revolution in the society and being in PR got me closer to a lot of social issues. Hence, I like to paint on topics related to rich & poor disparity, animal cruelty, gender equality, freedom of thought and speech, etc.
The most important theme among social issues for me is mental health awareness, as I have gone through two major attacks a few years ago, which completely changed me as a person. I feel it’s important to spread the word regarding mental well-being, as it is still a taboo.
Nature, life after death and outer space are also my favorite themes.
What do you like about using Acrylics?
I love using acrylics because they can be easily mixed with water yet you can rework on your artwork even if you mess up a few details. If you are patient, the end result will be glorious.
What other artistic mediums have you used?
I have also tried my hand at watercolors. Although it used to be my desired medium throughout my adolescence, I prefer working on acrylics now.
What do you want to express through your abstract artwork?
I am a very emotional person and I like to paint my feelings through abstract art and beautiful and rich acrylics are a great combination.
What is your process from an idea to a finished painting?
I usually daydream about a lot of concepts. I write them down, during the art hour read them out and I pour my heart out on the canvas paper (or canvas board).
Which artists inspire you and why?
There are plenty - Frida Kahlo for her unapologetic self portraits, Pablo Picasso for digressing from impressionism and familiarizing the world with cubism, which is a modern art and Van Gough for his schizophrenic and out of the box paintings, to name a few.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
Art is like meditation. I am always motivated about painting and there is always a theme lurking in mind. I always strive to finish my other work and chores in time so that I get enough time to paint.
Please talk about the successes you have had marketing yourself on social media...
In today’s day and age, social media is the key to profile oneself as a credible artist. As I am still working on improving on my skills, marketing the artworks is still in pipeline. However, I am always on a lookout to promote my artworks on various platforms. I have linked myself to the wonderful artists on twitter through which I get constant feedback; I get inspired every day.
What are your plans for the future?
In future I would like to continue working on abstracts, as I can express myself well through them. I have a virtual exhibition on abstracts with art_chitrakala on June 26th.
I have recently participated in creating my very own art book on Google Books. They have carried 8 of my artworks. I plan to promote the book everywhere. JUEE OBEROI - ART EXHIBIT, INDIA by Editors Panel - Project GBA&C - Books on Google Play
I also plan to register myself on virtual platforms like Etsy or ArtPal to reach the wider audience.
Currently, people reach out to me for artworks through my Instagram handle @lazywifecreations and twitter handle @LazyWife