I find painting very therapeutic.
I began painting when I was a child. I realised I had the potential to become an artist while I was working in New York. All my colleagues were talented in the field of arts but chose to pursue other professions. One day, we conducted a show at the office where everyone displayed their works. I was the only one who had done a large painting and that instantly grabbed everyone's attention. I later conducted several shows at my residence and quite a few people in New York are owners of my art works.
I received a lot of encouragement and felt I could translate my feelings into colours. I have also had many shows in Dubai and am excited about showcasing my new series here.
I was born in England and brought up in Pakistan.
I have two brothers and a sister. My mother was the strong force in the family and she encouraged her children particularly girls to follow their passion and to be independent. She helped us to go and study abroad and always made sure that we would not be left behind in any way. I graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in Rhode Island, USA, and was privileged to attend one of the best colleges in the world thanks to my mother. She is like my friend and a great inspiration.
I am a surrealist painter.
Surrealism is an art form that is basically about thoughts, imagination, dreams and fantasies. Many people believe surrealism is related more to negative emotions but I want to prove it otherwise. I love to take people to the world of dreams... to wander beyond all borders.
Composition is the key to any art form. I sketch my lines on a piece of paper prior to beginning a painting on a canvas. But when I start painting I let go of myself and allow the brush to take on a life of its own. At times, the paintings seem similar to the sketches I had made prior to picking up the brush, at other times the finished painting looks different from the sketch.
I am very much into detail and ornamentation.
I use acrylics on canvas because they dry fast. It also means there isn't much room for error.
I have also done works of art on the frames of my paintings in an array of styles. My first set of paintings was on heavily ornate golden frames. Later I used basic black so it would detract from the art work itself.
I like viewers to interpret my art in their own way.
Women are my muse and they help transport my personal thoughts to the outer world. I am inspired by the ordinary woman who has a multi-faceted lifestyle with all its nuances, simplicities and complexities. I use a lot of layers in my artwork to exemplify everything she is going through.
I paint on large canvasses and my paintings are very similar to mural paintings.
Put together they are similar to a sequence like the continuous complex postures of womanhood. In my new series, I have followed my signature pattern of using fluorescent and bright colours like yellow, pink and so on along with lots of dots. Colours are the soul of my life.
I have used bright colours to indicate the vibrancy and creativity of the suffering women.
The women hit by the floods in Pakistan, who are still nurturing, producing, laughing and striving for life, were my recent inspiration in paintings. The reflections of these paintings are of those women who keep moving on in life though it is not easy to do so. I think my paintings of dreams and fantasies are a new genre to the people of Dubai. The cultural mixture in the UAE has led people from all walks of life to promote art. I find it exhilarating as people from diverse locations appreciate my art.
Quick questions
Do you have an art signature?
Pointillism, the late 19th-century style of painting that constitutes dots of different colours, is my art signature and is represented throughout in my art.
Do you have other interests?
I love fashion and am a great buyer. I am a very print-oriented person and look for details. I prefer long dresses with heavy prints and embellishments. Ornamentation on clothes and jewellery are my also highly appealing to me. If I consider something beautiful, I carry it with me.
An event that has been a turning point in your life...
My life has changed drastically with the birth of my daughter. All the appreciation I have for womanhood has grown more with my experience of childbirth. The love for my child is unconditional.
Sindhu Jumani will be holding her art exhibition on February 20-21 at the Fairmont Hotel, Dubai.
Sami Said Ali is a Sharjah-based freelancer
