Beyond Realism

Whether it’s at home or at work, the people who meet Dasha regularly often see her drawing. For many years, Dasha has been surprising her friends at birthdays with amazing portraits of them that she has either sketched in pencil or, more recently, done in charcoal. ”My friends sometimes give me a photo that they really would like me to draw, but mostly I choose one that I would enjoy sketching from their selection on Facebook. This way it’s also a surprise for them,” she says. “She captures an element of life and of the person that goes far beyond what can be done with a camera,” says one of her friends. Her artwork albums on Facebook and Instagram (two social media sites) are gaining rapid popularity, and now she has gained a dedicated fanclub. “I started casually drawing when I was 10. It became more regular when I was still living in Kailash, maybe 8 years ago. I was in Future School, and I remember that Miro (art teacher) explained to me how to do shading. So I learned that there are some tricks one can use. Luckily, I’ve improved a lot since then. Now my drawings are more realistic,” she says. The progress she has made has caught the attention of many, even of some of her friends in Europe who are also eager to get a custom drawing. Besides portraits, she also creates custom artwork on surfboards made by Auroville-based Indi Surfboards.

Although Dasha started off by drawing, the world of paint always seemed like the logical next step. She says: “Initially, I was inspired by my aunt Shakti, and she helped me a lot. She explained some techniques, and also gave me the motivation to continue.” But, besides that initial impetus, Dasha is completely self-taught. She spends countless hours watching YouTube videos and tutorials, and closely follows the work of some of her favourite artists. “I love seeing how creative some people are, and their work really inspires me to do better.”

Recently, her paintings reached a new dimension. Her two recent time-lapse videos that she put up on Facebook have received scores of comments that highlight how fascinating it is to watch her paint. “As soon as I began experimenting with oil painting on large canvases I was hooked,” she smiles. “When I paint I’m in another world, I forget about everything else, and only focus on the moment. My main interest is drawing or painting people, faces, and especially portraits. And I always use a reference photo. So my style is close to realism, close to what it actually looks like.”

Her references come from a folder on her computer in which she collects things she likes. “I don’t have the intention to paint them all, but once in a while I go through the images I save and see if something speaks to me. Then I paint it.” Her most recent painting portrays a black and white dancing ballerina. Its simplicity yet depth makes it extremely captivating. Although she says that art is in the family – her mother also painted while she was in Auroville – she doesn’t know yet what the future will bring. “Right now I’m just painting. Once I have enough of them to hang in an exhibition then I’ll do that. And down the line, maybe I’ll get to exhibit them in an art gallery to make some pocket money.”

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