Suchitra’s abstracts make their local ent

Suchitra Krishnamoorthy will be flying into the city later tonight for the launch of her solo art exhibition. The singer turned artist specialises in abstracts and figuratives and made her debut with a big splash in Mumbai last year. "I sold all the 56 paintings that I had exhibited. And this year too I sold 15 of the 24 paintings in Mumbai," says the artist who is still recovering from a bout of flu.

Suchitra is not a professionally trained artist having drifted into the field two years back but is deeply passionate about her vocation." I have trained in music and dance so I'm glad that when it comes to art, there is no prior knowledge involved. In fact it gives me the freedom to explore the medium and I'm not afraid of getting the technique wrong — I believe that art is a very intrinsic medium and as long as I stay honest to my work, I don't really need to delve into the theories involved," she confesses in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

The artist who has a regular on Mumbai's Page 3 circles is unfazed by virulent criticism. "When I first started out the critics said,' she's bored and is just killing time' or 'she's in a position to book her own gallery'. "I believe that everybody is entitled to their own opinion and I crave for no praise. There have also been a whole lot of people who have been wonderfully kind to me but I'm basically someone who doesn't get swayed by opinions," she calmly states.

Suchitra however is not complacent about art and has trained with some of the best artists during her many trips abroad. "In New York I worked under the famous abstract artist, Betsy Dillardstroud, I've worked with another abstract artist Diana L in Washington and I've even trained under the master of figuratives, Gonzalo in Barcelona. In fact I was so impressed with him that on my return I did up the entire passage of my home in glass and stone," she says.

But there is one person whose opinion she values most and that is her art teacher Anil Nayak. "He's into realism and keeps goading me to keep working. In fact thanks to him, I've now learnt to put my work away because I tend to get very critical after I've finished a painting and sometimes tend to throw paint in frustration. Now I've learnt to detach myself," she adds.

Suchitra is looking forward to her exhibition in the city since she has family here. "I'm bringing my six-year-old daughter Kaveri with me. She incidentally loves all my work but is also very observant and is beginning to point things out. As for my family, I know I can always count on them for an honest and objective opinion. And yes, I do know a lot of people in Hyderabad because my brother and sister-in-laws friends have now become my friends too," she says.

While her professional life is rocking, rumours of her alleged break-up with director Shekhar Kapur are doing the rounds. Suchitra responds politely but firmly, "My personal life is nobody's business and I certainly don't owe any explanations to people. There have been some really nasty stories but I prefer to ignore them completely. We are all trying to get on with our lives and let's leave it at that," she concludes.