An appointment with art and nature

Unlike most artists who start painting young, Rakesh Agarwal was initiated into art quite late. But when he began painting, his works proved that he was exceptional. Despite being inclined towards art, his tryst with paints started much later  — when he was posted in Bhopal as part of his job as an IAS officer a few years back.

“I was always intrigued by nature. As a kid, I was a bit of a loner and so I would take great interest in nature around me,” says Rakesh, who is in Hyderabad for his show An Appointment With Nature. So it’s not surprising that the 102 art works on display have something to do with nature.

An IAS officer’s life is quite hectic. So when Rakesh’s peers saw his exhibition, they had one question — ‘How do you find the time?’ Rakesh says, “When you have the passion for something, you will find the time. I wake up around 4.30 am every day and dedicate this time to painting.”

Rakesh paints with water colours though he has dabbled with oil paints. “I found painting with oil paints quite cumbersome. Watercolours are tough to work with, but there is a certain joy,” he explains.

Halfway through the exhibition he surprises you when he says that he has no formal education in art. “I’m a self-taught artist. All that I learnt, I’ve learnt from the great masters. I would read books on their techniques, biographies  and do my research,” he says.

From someone who wasn’t confident about hosting a show to having been part of close to seven shows in some of the biggest art galleries in India, he has come a long way. Rakesh always wanted to paint, but the constant moving from city to city left him with no time or inspiration, until he moved to Bhopal. Now, despite hectic schedules, Rakesh makes sure he paints regularly. He says, “My work can get very stressful, but I always find solace in art.”