Suman Kaur is an artist specialising in portraiture and figurative work. She is the winner of the BBC Big Painting Challenge 2017 and Royal Scholar under the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship trust. She is a Sikh artist and is based in the United Kingdom.
As an emerging artist, her works have featured within numerous exhibitions including Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, Patchings Art Festival, Cass Art - Artist of the Year Exhibition, with work permanently acquired by Leeds Art Galleries and Museums.
In an exclusive conversation with Asian Voice, Kaur spoke about the evolution of art, challenges and the future of art post the pandemic.
How has your perspective and approach towards creating art changed during the pandemic?
It hasn’t. What I do comes from a mindset that is constant, it’s almost meditative. If anything the reminder that life is fragile and is to be cherished has brought me peace that I am doing something I care about.
How challenging is it to sell art in such times and get the right price for your creativity?
Covid has hit all businesses. I try to be realistic when I price my work. I bear in mind my current collectors and what they have paid, however, I do discount work from time to time. Art really has no value but what I or someone else looking at it gives it; art itself is priceless.
How supportive has your family been in helping you advance in a career in the arts?
Initially like most parents would be they were apprehensive that I was leaving a career in a bioengineering field to do art. They didn’t understand. And I had to have a lot of courage as an only child to take a different path. I have built my business myself, I have looked for opportunities, for example, I later won the BBC Big Painting Challenge competition. When I couldn’t afford schooling, I found and won a scholarship and am now a Painter of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. My parents support me emotionally and are there to make sure I am not without a home as the career is still building. It’s new for them to have an artist working in the family, they are just as unclear as to how I will be in future. But they know I am happy.
What according to you is the future of arts post the pandemic? How do you think the UK government can help artists?
There are fewer opportunities for people in lower-income families to access the arts as a career. Art is voice and freedom and voices should not only be represented by a few of privilege. If I didn’t have the support I have I couldn’t be an artist, I understand from my own experience that getting to a ‘high’ level in the arts, meaning to exhibit or to be recognised is more easily achieved when you are of a certain background or by luck. I am sure many people recognise that art is not something that is very much encouraged in our South Asian communities. In the past, I have turned to help from within our community and been ignored. It is only now after getting to this level, that people view me as having any worth. Perhaps that is another emotional tip, be mindful and remember those who are there when you are ‘nothing’.
Anyway in the case of South Asian art, we never really had a voice, if we lose the few artists we have what happens to the voice of British South Asians? Support needs to be given so that representation in art is diverse. And I do not mean to simply be used to tick a box of diversity in a project, but to be in permanent collections and shown.
To check out more of Suman's work, you can log on to her website https://www.sumankaur.co.uk/
TIPS FOR READERS WHO WANT TO PURSUE ART AS A CAREER
In a practical sense:
- Don’t be arrogant, look at all types of art and decide what you love and read and learn about it
- Work on your skillset, study how to use whatever material you are interested in working with properly
- Don’t use cheap or low-quality materials – paints for example if oil should be of good quality.
- Budget: studio space, marketing, materials, entering competitions costs money, be prepared if you are not financially stable to struggle occasionally.
- Always credit any inspiration you have used.
- If you come from a lower-income background there may be fewer opportunities for you to enter into the ‘art world’ accept this and keep pushing forward regardless.
In an emotional sense:
- Do not have an ego
- If your primary goal of being an artist is making money; forget it. Art should come from your soul.
- Do not compare your work to anyone else’s, you will never be them as they will never be you, respect yourself and your individuality.
- If you are not respected by other artists, do not disrespect them.
- Believe in yourself, you will meet many people and be in many situations that will discourage you. Still believe.
