TOI: Artiste and Art--Raqesh

Artiste and artist 

Actor Raqesh Vashisht lets Saadia S Dhailey into his world of canvas that he colours with a knife 


It was a chance encounter with a series of paintings on a ballerina adorning a corporate office signed in his name that lead us to the artist behind the artiste Raqesh Vashisht.We discovered that these were not his one-off works,in fact the actor,who is currently playing a lead in a daily soap,manages to paint around four canvases every month,such is his passion.And unlike some actors who took to the brush much later in life,to broaden their creative horizons,Raqesh isnt new to it.He has been painting since he was a kid and his works have won a National Award as well.Though he doesnt remember exactly when,he says,I took a pencil and paper and it just flowed. 
You dont need a curators eye to say that his acrylic works manifest a sense of serenity.The subjects are closer home,and he lends them his own interpretation.Ever since cell phone cameras came into being,I click pictures randomly of whatever appeals to me.However,its never copied on the canvas like its in the photographs.I like to only capture the feel. 
Some other times,he just surrenders himself to the colours and the canvas,he says.Some times when I paint,I dont know whats going to come out.Even I am surprised with what finally emerges, he confesses.However,whether he knows where hes going or not,he is very particular about t h e t h e m e and the subject of his works.When I want to put a painting on my wall,Id want it to tell a story,and not a dark story.My works have no blood or darkness to it, so much that when he painted a rag picker,he lent her quite some glamour.I just gave the picture a thought process,dreams of a woman from that world. 
In spite of him rendering his own interpretations,his works have a sense of simplicity that could be attributed to an unusual influence he had as a kid.In the compound of an old temple near my house was a man whod paint and sculpt.He had me intrigued.Id watch him for hours.I learned so many things from him. Over the years,he has,of course,improvised his techniques for finer works.Four years ago,when I was renovating my house,I observed the masons and picked up the knife trick from them. Now he has hung up his brushes and its only knife and fingers for him.It less of a hassle, he feels.
He is also particular about his colours and black holds a special preference,as,It accentuates the subject like no other colour can.Its not the strokes or the sketch that really make a painting,but the colours.Red and orange are also typically me. And his favourite subject is,of course,women.Especially since he says hes good with expressions,eyes being his strength to convey them.Their mysterious qualities can be portrayed well on canvas. 
Though the actors works have created quite a buzz around them,with the most recent going for a neat six figure sum,its funny how he had to paint in front of his friends to prove that its indeed him and not a ghost painter.Even Riddhi (his fianc ) keeps saying that she doesnt believe its me.Now that we are getting married,shell get to see me paint every often.Her doubts will be put to rest soon, he says laughing.Raqesh is also planning to hold an exhibition in November,he tells us.I definitely want people to see my works.Expect to see a lot of variety. 
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