Siddhi Jena, the Fabulist
Artist name: Siddhi Jena
Area of art: Sketching
Title of work: Untitled
Yes, that's right. I called her a "fabulist" in my title. But that's because she is one. Siddhi Jena (Grade 7), a lover of novels, fan fiction and anime, uses all of these interests to influence her art style - through storytelling. Many people can draw well and some are even outstanding writers and storytellers. But Siddhi is exceptional not only because she has both of these abilities, but because she can combine the force of the two and create magic. I say magic, because looking at her work is like watching a dream sequence in a movie.
In this blog, I will bring some of that magic to you by showing you the original interview I had with Siddhi:
What is your work about?
“I don’t like drawing ‘happy’ stuff all the time, there should be a story behind it. There should be some deep thought behind it. I think that's what my work is about."
There must have been a process of the creation of your work. Give us some details.
“Not really, no process was really there. Most of the time, I listen to background music that gives me inspiration. I use regular pencils and I mostly like having human characters.”
What caused you to create all this work? Any inspiration behind it?
“It’s mostly my fan fiction… all of them are based on one of the stories I’ve read, or, something I’m interested in. I like being alone while I do my work, it’s better because then I can listen to music while doing it.”
Why do you think this is "art"?
“I believe art is not… it doesn’t have to be someone or something beautiful. It just has to be something that’s expressive because that is what art is all about, quoted by Ms. Aparna.”
“When I draw, I usually never think about the people that are going to look at it. I never think that someone is going to look at my drawings. For me, showing my drawings to everyone, it kind of makes me feel self-conscious. Do they like it? Is it good enough for their standards?”
<< Just a pointer to all readers and viewers of this website + artists in general: Never think that your art is not "good" enough. There is nothing like "good" art and someone else's definition of "good" can be very different from yours. In fact, what you despise could be admired by someone else, therefore you should never inhibit yourself from exhibiting it. The fact that you can be an unconventional artist and very unlike others in your field is what really makes art "good"and that is what this website/blog is trying to promote. >>
What characteristic of yours does this artwork represent, if any?
“Well, I’m a storyteller. And my work shows that because it’s not ‘normal’, or something that I have to go around telling people about what it really is. I want them to know it by themselves through my drawings. My work always has this concept that you need to look deeper into to understand.”
Is there something else about you or your art that you want people to know?
“I like sketching with just pens and pencils. I’m not a very ‘neat’ kind of person. If you tell me to do something neat, I would always prefer something like free drawing over that. My friends really appreciate my drawings and it feels really special when that happens. I feel that if I’m good at it, I can still continue with creating more art.”
You can take a look at all of Siddhi Jena's sketches below. Her friends really appreciate her for her work, but if you do too and have been greatly inspired then make sure to contact her and let her know. Her e-mail ID would be "siddhi.jena@oberoi-is.net" and she is currently a Grade 7 student at Oberoi International School.
