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Hardika Shah, the driving force behind Kinara Capital, a fintech startup that provides unsecured loans to small and medium-sized businesses in India, cherishes her charcoal. why? Because it’s a window to finding peace and balance, something she discovered early in her life.
Why did you become interested in portraiture in particular?
I started drawing as a teenager and became particularly interested in portraiture as I loved studying faces and expressions, and eventually gravitated towards charcoal mediums. As a young person at the time, taking portraits of older people was especially fascinating to me because it felt like their life stories were written in the lines of their faces.
What is the process like?
I like to start with a photo that fascinates me, whether it’s a person or an object. I prefer it when I focus on one aspect of the painting rather than a busy scene because the stillness is calming for me. The charcoal medium exposes technique and encourages gradual building of tone. There isn’t much of a color palette to hide bad brushstrokes beneath layers of paint or to hide unbalanced sketch work. Even the charcoal smears are meant to subtly bring the piece together, but they can’t cover up the sketchwork underneath.
Artists and portrait painters who influenced you…
I’ve always been fascinated by some Spanish artists. My particular favorites are Diego Velazquez and El Greco. My modern favorites are Dennis Minamora, Bev His Doolittle, and Elayaraja. My blue charcoal painting Las Meninas remains my favorite work as a homage to Velázquez, one of the greatest artists of all time.
How does painting contribute to your entrepreneurial journey?
Entrepreneurship is very strong in my life, so painting for me is a great way to relieve stress. However, I think that starting to create portraits and hyper-realistic art reflects my inherent perfectionism and love of a good challenge.
Are there any important portraits you have painted and what is the story behind them?
It was her sister’s 6th birthday party, the first day she remembers vividly and being given the opportunity to choose her own dress, decorations, cake, etc. In the end, she wore all my jewelry and Bharatnatyam dance belt, but the belt broke. Nevertheless, our house was filled with so much love and laughter all day long. So I rendered one of her close-up photos from that day in charcoal. I think this photo perfectly captures the joy exploding on a child’s innocent face. Those memories still bring me great happiness.
Similarities between artists and entrepreneurs.
Art requires a mindset similar to entrepreneurship. You can start with a few strokes here and there, but the canvas may not reflect the vision you have in mind, so you’ll have to course correct or start over. No one can push you through this process. You have to find your own way, but inspiration can come from various sources.
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