Artist Siddharth Shingade on his series Secrets of the Soil -

Govardhan by Siddharth Shingade
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Homesickness can be as good a muse as any and for Mumbai-based artist Siddharth Shingade, it certainly was. In Secrets of the Soil, his ongoing solo exhibition in Bengaluru, the artist has captured the sights, sounds and wonders of his hometown.

Siddharth Shingade
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Hailing from Tuljapur in southern Maharashtra, Siddharth was persuaded by his mother’s elder brother to take art seriously. M. Shravasti, an artist in Pune, saw his nephew’s drawings and encouraged him to hone his talent. “I did not know art could be a career choice until then,” says Siddharth, recalling how his uncle taught him basic techniques in art and took him outdoors to sketch landscapes. “My uncle used to work on portraits, sketches and landscapes and I learnt a lot from him. He was my inspiration.”

Door by Siddharth Shingade
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

After Class XII, Siddharth moved to Latur to pursue a diploma in art teaching, moving on to Mumbai after that to complete his art education at LS Raheja School of Art. However, life in the big city was not without its share of hardships. “I struggled with everything in those days — food, accommodation, art material. It took time for me to get used to Mumbai,” he says, adding, ”I felt I had left behind a lot to reach the city. My village, the people I knew, the sunshine, soil, trees, wide open spaces, the river and even the livestock, I missed it all terribly, even after five years of being away.”

It was then that Siddharth took to capturing nostalgia on canvas. “If you look at my work, it all begins with life in the village,” he admits.

Trees by Siddharth Shingade
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

People headed for the fields, gossiping, weddings or naming ceremonies; pastoral scenes in earth tones began appearing in his work.

Siddharth uses acrylic on canvas as he believes this medium best suits him. “It does justice to my subject and I feel I am able to achieve the desired result in my work.” He also worked with watercolours and oils when he was starting out but gave up the latter as he felt they didn’t set well in Mumbai climate.

Shiv Parvati by Siddharth Shingade
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Acrylics have a language of their own and I am comfortable with them.”

The 26 canvases of varying sizes and a few sketches which comprise Secrets of the Soil were executed during the lockdown. A few celebrate a rural lifestyle while others are the artist’s impression of scenes from mythology and spirituality. Krishna, Shiva and Parvati as well as villagers going about their daily chores are captured in shades of Nature.