"Art is a passion that keeps me going. There are two main drivers for me to create. First, for me, art is meditation. When I’m working on art, the stress of day to day life disappear. I tune out everything while I am working on a piece. Second, I get a sense of true satisfaction when my art makes others happy."

Amogh Katyayan

Beyond The Trees

I am an engineer by college degree and an artist by heart! I paint with my unconscious mind and feelings to start on a blank canvas and then finish with conscious mind finding shapes and figures repressing current world problems or sometimes mythical stories.
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The Faithful One

PAP2

You grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. Share with us some insight into the beauty of this area.
My father, a teacher, was stationed as in a remote village deep in the Kumaun region of the Himalayas. I grew up very close to the pristine beauty of mountain ranges, valleys and glacial rivers away from all the pollution of industrial areas. The air was clear, the water was pure, and the intimacy of nature developed in me, a clear sense of my responsibility towards the environment, which is depicted in many of my paintings.

Your parents encouraged you to study Engineering. Were you always interested in art and what are your earliest memories of creating?
Like all other Indian parents at that time, mine pushed me to become an engineer. I joined the State Engineering College and started my career as a Project Engineer executing several different industrial projects. I am not sure when exactly I first became inclined towards art, but I do remember a childhood story from when I was in Grade 3, I painted a black butterfly and my teacher failed me, giving it a 2 out of 10! Perhaps my teacher could not see the potential in me at the time. At the time, I was shocked by my failure. I started learning to make better art with help of my mother, who had taken some professional art courses. I got (much better, and eventually my teacher circulated my art throughout the school to show as an example of great art.

Change Is Here

Earth's Rescue

"Usually my work is influenced by my surroundings as well as local and global current events. These influences range from the Me Too movement to natural disasters in the Amazon rainforest to the day to day life of a common man."
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New Orleans

Consider Everyone

You now live in Calgary, Alberta. Tell us about life in this part of Canada?
I grew up in a small town, and as a result I seldom find it comfortable living in big cities. For me, Calgary is the perfect place to live, small enough to commute from from one end to the other in half an hour and big enough to enjoy the nightlife, concerts, or sports games. It is located in the foothills of Rocky Mountains close to Banff National Park, so there is a lot of natural beauty close to home in the winter and summer.

​How do the two cultures - Indian and Canadian - influence your work?
While both cultures have significantly impacted my work, I have also had the privilege to live in Southeast Asia and Europe, which shaped my thinking process as well. Usually my work is influenced by my surroundings as well as local and global current events. These influences range from the Me Too movement to natural disasters in the Amazon rainforest to the day to day life of a common man.

Perspective

"While superheroes get so much of the shine nowadays, in my opinion the real hero is the common man."
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"My art carries a message and tells a story. These are stories that I want the audience to listen to with their eyes."

Cliffhanger

Keith's dog goes for walk

Your mother provided the nudge to reignite your creative fire. Tell us about this and your journey to this point.
This is a very interesting story! Originally, my parents pushed me to become an engineer, a profession I have held for the past 28 years. My passion for art returned around 6 years ago when my mother decided to take an art class after putting down her brush 45 years ago. I registered her in an adult art class but since she has trouble speaking English, I sat with her as her translator. During that class the instructor also encouraged me to paint, which is when I realized that my passion for art still burned strong. Since then, I started creating art and hope to continue until I die. I can’t stop making art anymore! Over the past six years I have participated in several events, exhibitions and shows, and gained membership in several art associations and societies.

To commit to creating art at a high level, there must have been a compelling internal reward - describe what creating fulfils in you?
Art is a passion that keeps me going. There are two main drivers for me to create. First, for me, art is meditation. When I’m working on art, the stress of day to day life disappear. I tune out everything while I am working on a piece. Second, I get a sense of true satisfaction when my art makes others happy. Every time I’m at an exhibition and someone stops by to talk about my paintings, I feel a strong sense of satisfaction and pride. That feeling of creating something, whether it’s a painting or sculpture, is escalating and fulfilling.

​Your series ‘Our Hero’, describes the day-to-day life of a common man. What inspired this and how pleased are you with the outcome?
In the news, online, and in books and movies, people emphasize the importance of leaders and superheroes. While superheroes get so much of the shine nowadays, in my opinion the real hero is the common man. True heroism is not only about moving mountains or travelling through the stars but also about being there for yourself, your family, and your friends. The “Our Hero” series turns the common man into a hero. He walks his dog, spends time with his family, goes on adventures, and explores spiritual side of life.

Hero Finds The Match

Rising The Corporate Ladder

"The story usually develops along with the work. I find shapes in the colours and textures of my paintings, influencing how the story of each painting develops. Part of the beauty of art is that viewers can develop their own story based on their unique perspective. In my view, art is about these perspectives, not absolutism."

Ropewalker

Tears Of The Sea

​The evolving story for both you and the viewer is an important focus in your work - please shine light on this.
My art carries a message and tells a story. These are stories that I want audiences to listen to with their eyes. I don’t tend to start my paintings with any specific concepts or preconceived ideas. The story usually develops along with the work. I find shapes in the colours and textures of my paintings, influencing how the story of each painting develops. Part of the beauty of art is that viewers can develop their own story based on their unique perspective. In my view, art is about these perspectives, not absolutism.

You have compared your painting technique to "looking for images in the clouds"... what does this mean?
In my childhood, I spent a lot of time looking at the clouds, finding animals, objects, and shapes within them. My painting technique can be compared to the looking for images in the clouds. I begin with a blank canvas, and as I I layer on coats of paint create textures and colours, I start to see shapes and figures emerge from the paint. This is the foundation from which my paintings develop. With the freedom that this open-minded approach brings, my paintings takes on a life of their own. From the images I that I see, my paintings take on stories, issues, and experiences to which others can relate.

What are you currently working on?
I am still working on my ‘Our Hero’ series. As the common man’s action are limitless, I am not sure whether I will ever
​finish this series! I am also working on an ‘Animals’ series, where animals portraits are combined with my painting techniques to create a story.

The Intelligent One

The Dog

"My technique can be compared to the looking for images in the clouds."

"The more carefully you look, the more details you will find,"

The King

Amogh Katyayan

​Your work has received significant acclaim. It is rare to see an artist achieve - in a short career so far - such powerful themes and masterful execution. What would you attribute your creative success to?
I am indebted with support and encouragement from my loved ones, friends and family alike. Despite the fact that my full-time job as an engineer leaves me with relatively little free time, my wife has been extremely supportive of my passion, allowing me the freedom to express myself through art. My friends, who were my first fans, always encouraged me by coming to my exhibitions and hanging my art in their homes.

If you had to pick three artworks to define your career so far - which would they be and why?

1. Perspective: This was my first painting in the ‘Our Hero’ series and was inspired by Hindu philosophy ‘Aham Bharamasmi’ which translates to ‘I am the Divine’. Essentially, this boils down to a core concept within Hinduism, which is that the creator (God) and creation (human) are not two separate identities but one single identity. The painting shows a human silhouette with several drawings within the body meant to represent the entirety of the universe, representing the notion that human and God are one. Another perspective that was pointed out to me by a viewer is that by changing the orientation of the painting, it transforms from a jogger running in an empty space, or a person doing a head-stand yoga pose, or even a person free-falling from space!
2. Consider everyone: This is a very early painting in my current style. This painting carries a message for all of us. If you look carefully, you can see three factories competing with each other for resources as well as an open drain pouring pollutants at the bottom of the painting. Looking up, you can see the effect of the pollution in form of a dead turtle, fish and a cow skeleton. Within this painting, the color red is meant to represent blood and destruction. Everything drawn in this painting emerged by looking for images within the background colours and textures. The more carefully you look, the more details you will find, representing the wide-scale impact of pollution on our ecosystem.
3. Serenity: Serenity is inspired by the calmness of Buddha. This painting represents the calm and tranquillity within Buddha despite the chaos around.

Website: www.amogh.art

Someone Is Watching

Amogh Katyayan