In the pursuit of happiness

Gurnaaz Kaur

We often hear stories of passion winning over a person and eventually making him/her a winner. One such endearing story is that of Sanjay Dhawan. His is a passion for art but calling himself an artist came with not-so-easy decisions he made for himself. This self-taught artist worked as an engineer for many years of his career. Call it a pressure from his father or the awareness of need for money for a middle-class lifestyle; he juggled between his job and art till finally one day in 2010 he decided to end the divide. “I had done it thrice before - I would take up a job, paint alongside, quit it and paint for few months and realise I had to have a job to manage a living and take care of my family. All this was starting to bog me down. I wondered - what if I died with a regret of not giving my best to what I loved so much. Therefore, one day, I gathered the courage to take the plunge and there has been no looking back.” If this sounds ordinary, Sanjay doesn’t believe in being one and his immediate quest began to find his uniqueness in the world of canvas and colours. “I was happy that all my time was now devoted to creating artwork. It was even getting buyers or I would find commissioned work for survival but as an artist, I wanted to make a mark. For me it was survival versus flourishing” 

And as they say, what you seek is seeking you, Sanjay chanced upon a cardboard sheet and thought of using it as a medium. For about three years, he experimented with the corrugated sheet, its ridges and texture that fascinated him, and different types of colours. After creating a body of work, this abstract artist then started looking for avenues to display it. Another turning point was holding a solo exhibition - his first in 2014. Today, after four years, he has done nine solos at different places, sells his art on international art websites, has a demand from across the globe and most importantly has found his signature style. “My first exhibition was here in Chandigarh and I come here again because this city houses some real love for art and honest critics that can help you grow.”

While from a distance his work look likes like a photo -finished painting, a closer look show how this Ambala-based artist has painstakingly put together cardboard pieces shaped differently, just like a jigsaw puzzle. The intriguing abstract work has themes such as ego, dreams, thoughts, metropolis, celestial bodies and many more. “I first think of a theme, then put it on a rough page and then cut the cardboard into pieces, paint them and fix them as the final outcome.”

In four years, Sanjay has not only created many new artworks but also felt immense growth and confidence. “When I began there was some fear of failure but today my work has given me wings. I feel a sense of expansion as I have found the right path. It’s something no one else in the world is doing. It seems as if I have found myself.”

On till Dec 4 at Alliance Francaise.