DESTIG Interview with our Award Winner, Tejbir Singh.
Read this interview in DESTIG Magazine
Read this interview in DESTIG Magazine
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DESTIG Interview
"My works are a celebration of the beauty that surround us all wherever we go and would be equally at home in an office or a residential environment. People of all generations/ regions/ professions can relate to them. I feel they would never be out-dated. I have an eye for detailing which features prominently in my works and this appeals to most people."
Tell us about yourself and background.
I am an architect by profession and have been based in Bahrain since 1998. My father was a pioneer of Distance Education while my mother was a teacher/vocalist. My wife is the field of training and we have a daughter and a son. By nature I am an easy going, god fearing person, strong, a believer in traditional values and love my family. I am very fond of music, sports and travelling.
Tell us about your work.
My works draw upon inspiration from my surrounding and feature subjects like landscapes, still-life, urban landscapes and occasionally abstracts. The architect and artist in me generally overlap in the choice of subjects as well as their treatment. My works are realistic in nature with a touch of surrealism. I generally like detailing my subjects minutely with markers and sketch pens. I used mixed medic like soft pastels, water colours and oils.
What makes your work and approach unique?
I love to capture the beauty that surrounds us everywhere so almost everyone can relate to them and that’s how I want it to be. What makes my approach unique is the attention I pay to detailing, I like mixing mediums like water colours, soft pastels and oils with usage of markers and sketch pens. I also tend to pick unique subjects like imprints in the sand or views from the window of a plane etc.
Why is your work a good investment?
My works are a celebration of the beauty that surround us all wherever we go and would be equally at home in an office or a residential environment. People of all generations/ regions/ professions can relate to them. I feel they would never be out-dated. I have an eye for detailing which features prominently in my works and this appeals to most people. While the Urban Landscapes would appeal to the common man as well as lovers of architecture and heritage; nightscapes, sand prints, abstracts etc would appeal to people who might prefer different and unique subjects.
Tell us about some of your achievements.
My most major achievement has been that despite not being a full time artist, I have been given this award. In March 2018: my painting Rest @ Piccadilly was chosen as one of the 10 finalists for the ART BOX annual exhibition in New York. I held my first solo exhibition in London in August this year. A few years back, prints of my paintings were selected by the Minister of Culture for sale at Bahrain National Museum Gift Shop.
What are your sources of inspiration?
My surroundings inspire me. They could be in the form of play of light and shadows, nightscapes, prints in the sand, views from the window of an aeroplane, sunsets, still objects and quite prominently views of streets, plazas and buildings that I walk and drive past every day as well as places I travel to. Architectural Heritage and Urban Landscapes are also a major source of Inspiration. Basically I see beauty around me and want to capture it.
What you are passionate about?
I am passionate about Heritage and feel strongly about its preservation which in Europe is given so much importance. I wish the same could happen in India. I am also passionate about the environment and would love to design buildings that optimize energy usage, utilize solar energy, promote recycling and are adaptive to the climate. I am also a passionate sports lover and particularly so about Manchester United Football Club!
Tell us the back-story of some of your projects.
While designing an Italian restaurant in a resort in Bahrain, I proposed to the client to draw a mural with markers on a blank wall 8.5 m long. After several discussions and due to practical reasons I ended up painting the mural in water colours then had a high resolution picture taken of it which was blown up and printed in Germany. It now adorns the wall of the restaurant. It looks stunning. I was also commissioned to do sports related artworks for a sports rehab clinic and art gallery two years ago.
Share with us your upcoming projects.
A few years back, a prominent out gallery in Manhattan, New York called Artifact Art Gallery saw my works on my website and approached me to exhibit at their premises. As a result of that, my first solo Exhibition in the U.S.A will be held there from March 6th to 24th 2019. I am really excited about that and I am looking forward to it. They have already exhibited some of my works at several Art fairs.
Tell us about where you are based.
I have been based in a beautiful small island- country called Bahrain in the Middle East, neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Bahrain is a liberal, tolerant Muslim country with friendly people and an easy paced lifestyle. It has people from all over the world working there. It has a highly developed culture and tradition. It is famous for its Natural Pearls. The Art scene is very exciting and promises a lot for the future. It was also the first country in the Middle East to host a Formula 1 race.
Website: tejbir.artspan.com