Akilagowri - The Artist

Art has always interested me. One yearns for what one lacks summarizes my pursuit to understand the geniuses behind beautiful creations.

When I was pregnant (and battling constant nausea) Akilagowri (a.k.a Akila) invited my husband and me to her home for tea. I could not go since my olfactory senses overpowered my appetite. However my husband obliged and returned with goodies she sent along for me sand also pictures of paintings adorning her home. That is when, the artist Akilagowri was revealed to me. Not only, does she create beautiful canvases, her home has a zen-like yet earthy feel– lots of white with hues of greens and greys. Her abode is humbly magical. She says that art is about color sense and color combination and her home is a reflection of that precise thought.

When I approached Akila to be the subject of my first post on The Lagom Journal, I had a set of questions in my mind, all centred around her sheer talent to transform canvases to beautiful art pieces of pure joy. Little did I know, that this conversation would unravel a worthy challenge to the current perception of women empowerment.

Akilagowri the person

So I started off by asking about her journey into art, expecting a story likening to that of a child prodigy.

‘I enjoy being a homemaker. Everything can be seen as art.’ Puzzled, I listened on. ‘I apply art everywhere. I love washing dishes, love the aspect of cleaning – the sound of water. It is about changing your mindset with which two hours of work can be done in 10 minutes.’ Soon I caught up. This was going to be an interesting conversation – much like every conversation of ours.

Proudly calling herself a born homemaker, she believes in the balance of roles between spouses wherein one earns and the other takes care of the house and the family. So was this regressive? Or is this an emerging progress in individual preferences? ‘One should know what one wants in life. Women need self- respect’ Despite being questioned about her choice to ‘sit at home’ by many, she doesn’t believe in running behind other people’s dreams. She enjoys this calmness and the peace of mind that comes with being a homemaker. I could relate. A period of my life when I was struggling to land a job in Sweden, I always silently rejoiced the sombre afternoon calmness at home. I miss that now. 

I enjoy being a homemaker. Everything can be seen as art.

But then what about her talent? The recognition of her art?

‘It is not about talent. It is all about interest and the passion to do the best. My brother draws much better than me but he has not completed a single painting. It is always about interest and not always about talent. I have taught Art to students until my university, in total 1500 almost. I have seen that even if you don’t know art, it doesn’t matter. It is the interest.’

This hits home. Persistence and practice are fundamental to growth however in this day and age of instant gratification wherein quantitative measures of success embellish and camouflage growth, perception of talent is no different. Similarly my initial perception was just challenged – that of her talent being inborn.  

‘There are so many other people who are more talented. I cannot compare.’ She recollects how once in a studio in Bangalore, she observed a billboard painter through a window, more skilled but earning the same yearly that she earned in a month from her paintings. ‘No one is superior. It is also about luck.’

Curious about her journey again, I ask her how she got into art then. Being a childhood hobby, it became a passion. She was always encouraged by her mother and constantly received appreciation from her. She credits her friends too. Tagged as ‘the one who was drawing always’, her 2nd grade and 3rd grade school friends still remember her. She hails from Tirupur - a city of cultural significance in the South of India. Many foreigners visit the city. She started off by selling small paintings to foreigners intrigued by her art – mostly painting figures of Ganesha and Krishna. What followed were orders from major hotel chains in Pondicherry, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai and corporate offices wherein her creations still hang beautifully on their walls – much grander and bigger in size. Infact they still generate interest because of which she continues to get big orders. Her trips to India are marked by completing 4 to 5 orders in a month’s time. A feat in it’s own!

During this journey, she received a lot of support from an Architect – Shankar Prasad who bought her paintings for various projects . He was a mentor and a guide who challenged her with constructive feedback.

It is always about interest and not always about talent.

The art atmosphere in Sweden

Akila has an affinity towards traditional Indian paintings such as Tanjore & Madhubani. Infact, she appreciates any traditional painting of any country. ‘People have put their hearts into them without the expectation of any financial gain. There is always a story.’

Regarding the opportunities of art in Sweden especially around Skåne, while she understands different people appreciate different types of art, she feels that India still has better opportunities for artists.

What are the challenges here?

‘There needs to an openness to understand different styles of art. Resources and raw materials are expensive. When I lived in the US, they were much cheaper. Exposure to the market is limited here whereas in India I would cater to around 30/40 orders. However, in Sweden you will learn about yourself, connect with yourself better. With six months of darkness in the winters, there is beauty in candlelights. In India you connect strongly with the outside – the people – your friends and family. Here you experience calmness. This quietness and dullness is a boon.’

Her motivation towards Art and painting

'It is not the painting that is beautiful but that piece of art that makes the place around it beautiful and emanates positive energy.'

She loves the colors of traditional paintings that connect day to day life. 'It exposes everything – love, hatred, literature etc. Common people can understand it – it reaches everyone.' It is literal yet figurative of everyday life.

It is not the painting that is beautiful but that piece of art that makes the place around it beautiful and emanates positive energy.

What is her Hope for the future?

'To live life in a spiritual way with a purpose to the fullest. I am already doing it. I do not need to search it. Surprises are always there. In Sweden, I am happily content. However, I have one concern. If we are in Sweden – we should become a part of its natural beauty. For e.g. garbage organization. A simple thing like that is our service to Mother Nature. We should not disturb the natural goodness. We are blessed to have access to clean water.'

In Sweden, I am happily content.

The Tree of Life

Finding reason in the mundane. Exposing a beautiful story that is generally dismissed. Isn’t this symbolic of an artist? Something that we can all learn from. Appreciating what we have in our uniqueness and in the commonness that we share with others is the beauty of lagom.

You can view her beautiful creations on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/svasarts/

or her website: www.svasarts.in

My takeaways:

• For a person to acknowledge that she is truly content has been nothing less than a revelation to me. The unattainable nature of satisfaction is commonly accepted today. She signifies ‘lagom’ in its true sense – to be content, not compete with anyone and yet be a successful entrepreneur.

• For a woman today to state that she loves being a homemaker is rare and generally frowned upon. There are so many women that I know, who devalue themselves because they ‘do not work’. At one point of time, I was one of them. I have, over the years, learnt that success is personal. Exploring alternative avenues that play to each individual’s strength with unabashed freedom and confidence is brave. Much like what Akilagowri does.