Q. You wear many hats as a writer, biographer, art curator and collector. How do you balance these different roles and which one do you find most fulfilling?
A. Given the fact that we only get to live once, I count myself fortunate in being able to make my own life so rich and fulfilling by doing what I love best. The balancing act is possible because the roles overlap and often coexist like when I am writing on an artist and curating her work and then decide to collect the work she is creating. Having said that, I have to say that both the creative acts of writing and curation are immensely fulfilling for me, while that of a collector is one that gives me a sense of pride. I greatly value the acquisition of my first art work, a reverse painting by K G Subramanyan, while still enjoying the presence of other artworks we collected down the years.
Q. What inspired you to become a documentarian and curator, and how has your approach to documenting artists evolved over the years?
A. As a girl, I had heard stories from my aunt Mahasweta Devi about how she had researched diligently before writing her book on the Rani of Jhansi. Later too, in my formative years, art and literature were a part of our household conversations, when we visited Baroda to meet our grand uncle Sankho Chowdhury. I was thus exposed to an exciting world of creativity. My memoirs and documentaries on artists are now points of reference for students.
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