Punjab: My mother’s folk painting inspired the artist in me
Punjab: Internationally renowned artist Jaspal S feels that an artist gets inspiration from within himself to create a work of art. The artist not only shows his emotions through his works, but also reveals his mental, social, intellectual and spiritual nature, he adds.
Jaspal’s creation based on his imagination runs through purely sensuous to spiritual, from physical to metaphysical, and he paints his heart out to express everything, from the flight of fancy to expression of harsh realities of life.
Hailing from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal has obtained his PhD in Kushan Arts from the Guru Nanak Dev University and is a double masters in Fine Arts and History of Art from the Panjab University.
In response to a question, Jaspal said he was attracted towards art since childhood. Seeing his mother painting based on folk art, he also had a desire to become an artist.
A respected figure in the world of art, Jaspal has held many solo shows, besides group exhibitions in India and abroad.
Jaspal has contributed to the Punjabi University’s “Baal Vishwakosha” (Punjabi), specific art norms & contents under the Fine Arts section. During the Covid lockdown, he participated in online international and national art exhibitions in India and abroad.
Punjab Lalit Kala Academy honored Jaspal at an All India Drawings Exhibition at Kala Bhavan in Chandigarh in 2022. Of the 248 works of 141 artists of the country included in the exhibition, five best works were awarded and Jaspal’s ‘World of Joy’ won the first prize. His biographical note has appeared in Who’s Who in India and Abroad in Artists Directory, National Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi and Dictionary of Art and Artists of India, Mapin, Mumbai.
Jaspal has won several awards at national and international level, including Punjab Art Heritage Award 1997 and 1998, Merit Award, Indian Society of Oriental Arts, Calcutta, Honorable Mention in USA Millennium Hall of Fame, 20th Century Achievement Award & Distinguished Leadership Award for outstanding contribution to Contemporary Art, North Carolina, US, 1998. He has also won Best Exhibit Award, Punjab Lalit Kala Academy, Chandigarh, 2009; Award of Honor, Bibliotheca Alexandrina-Egyptian Cultural Week 2012, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Athens, Greece, 2012. Jaspal’s paintings are included in the renowned collections worldwide.
Talking to The Tribune, Jaspal said he secured the first position in MA Fine Arts in Panjab University in 1981. The then Vice President Hidayatullah had awarded him a gold medal and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund also awarded him. His name has been prominently mentioned in ‘Five Hundred Leaders of Influence’ published in America.
In ancient times, art presented the true picture of society and its purpose was related to entertainment and spirituality, while modern art has developed a lot, he said. In response to a question, he said today artists give priority to creating works on the real truths and current conditions of society.
