About Sarasvathy TK
Sarasvathy TK forayed into visual arts through an interest in still life, particularly inspired by the works of Dutch masters from the Baroque period. When she shifted out of software technology and into art, she initially painted landscapes and the world around her, but gradually drifted towards mega- and hyper-realistic still life. While she still works in landscapes and scenes, she also paints larger-than-life painstakingly-detailed still life depictions of Indian food. She is passionate about depicting the wealth of traditional foods from different regions of India, highlighting the social and ethnic diversity and significance of the country’s cuisine. Food, like art, is an incredible way for people to feel connected, as traditional foods are passed down through generations and help communities in diaspora maintain links to their family’s origins and their own identities. She has exhibited her works in the United States, Singapore, India, and Taiwan.
New Brunswick Art Salon 2021 – Oil and Mixed Media: “Bonds Beyond Time”
Artist Personal Website: https://www.sarasvathytk.com
Email: tksarasvathy@gmail.com
Artist Statement
My foray into visual arts stemmed from an interest in still life paintings, inspired by the works of Dutch masters from the Baroque period. I made a conscious shift from software technology to the visual art field in the year 2008. In the initial stage, I painted landscapes and the world around me, but slowly gravitated towards still life, and began experimenting with larger than life, realistic depictions of staged still life.
The works of artists Tjalf Sparnaay and Mary Ellen Johnson fascinated me with their food paintings, in hyper-realist and mega realistic style. The intricate detail, the play of light and expansive view of objects as if magnified manifold, created a lasting impression. This led me to explore food as a motif and resulted in my current series, where I focus on a plethora of Indian foods, specific to various regions across the country. I became passionate about depicting the wealth of traditional foods from different regions of India to highlight the social and ethnic significance of Indian cuisine and its diversity.
The idea of food, representative of cultures, histories, societies and geographies has intrigued me for a long time. Traditional cuisine, passing down from generations, carries with it fragments of memories, culture and identity. Having lived outside India for several years, food forms a valuable connect for me as well, on a personal level, a link to my roots. Immigrants, the world over, inevitably rely on food from their native countries to maintain linkages with their origins, which also results in preservation of their culture and identity.
Exhibitions
2021″Finalist “International Guild of Realism Spring Salon Online Exhibition, Arizona.
2020 “Award of Merit” - 2020 Spring Online Show, American Women Artists, California.
2020 ”Finalist “ International Guild of Realism Spring Salon Online Exhibition, Arizona.
2019 41st Salmagundi Annual Open Exhibition in Painting, Sculpture & Graphics, New York.
2019 WWAC juried “Cultural Heritage Show” and artwork featured in the invite, New Jersey.
2018 Juried Art exhibition, Monmouth Museum, New Jersey.
2018 Grand Salon show, Greenpoint Gallery, New York.
2017 Affordable Art Fair – Let Art Speak, Singapore.
2014 Art Expo, New York.
2013 KPY Arts festival, Singapore.
2012 Affordable Art Fair, Singapore.
2012 Passion Arts C – District Arts Festival, Singapore.
2012 Noise Singapore Festival Showcase, Singapore.
2012 “Art Fair” in Fort Canning Centre, Singapore.
2011 “Canvas of India” Exhibition, India.
2010 “Black and White” Featured Artwork by Fill-your-walls gallery, Singapore.
Awards
2020 “Award of Merit” - 2020 Spring Online Show, American Women Artists, California.