Ludhiana artist’s paintings a wake-up call in digital age

She is a national-level badminton player and runs a coaching centre, too, but she finds solace in painting alone. Meet Mandeep Kaur, a professional artist with an expertise in painting, printmaking, graphic art and animation.

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After pursuing her masters in fine arts from Government College of Arts, Chandigarh, Mandeep completed a stint as an assistant professor at Chandigarh University. Now, she is coaching students and in her leisure time, she satisfies her creative soul with art by working as a freelance artist.

The multifaceted Mandeep has not restricted herself to one medium, she works with a range of materials, including acrylics, oil paints, watercolours and printmaking techniques.

“My heart belongs to the brush and colours. I always take out time to pour my heart out on the canvas. I usually paint after 2 pm, when everyone is off to rest in the afternoon or after midnight in the calm and stillness of the night. One needs a peaceful and calm environment around to let the creativity flow out,” said Mandeep.

Her work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions. She has also conducted numerous workshops and seminars. “Teaching and sharing my love for art with people of all ages remains one of the most fulfilling aspects of my journey,” she said.

Asked if she follows a particular theme in the paintings, she said an artist can never be bound to a specific subject. “Being a nature lover, I love to paint landscapes and nature and then I try to promote Punjab’s art and culture through my paintings, showcase the challenges and problems faced by the present generation,” said Mandeep.

One of the major themes in my work is a message to people to leave their screens and enjoy the real world. “While social media has many benefits, it also has a dark side. One of the major impacts of social media on modern relationships is that it can distract one from face-to-face communication. With so many notifications and messages competing for our attention, it can be easy to lose sight of the people sitting right in front of us. This can lead to feelings of disconnection and resentment,” she added.

Another important message in her artwork is the pain of watching the younger generation forgetting their mother tongue.