ABOUT

Rohit Shah

Art is in my blood.

I was painting and sculpting since I was eight years old. I have been painting portraits and landscapes all my life. I was copying paintings and sculptures by Caravaggio for a long time. I also enjoyed sketching with pencil and pen and ink. I used to represent my school for the annual art competition and have won several awards.

After graduating from high school, I spent two years at engineering college and realized that this line was just not for me. It was too dry for me. I wanted to be creative and inventive. So I joined the school of Architecture in Ahmedabad, India. I got all the opportunity to be creative in designing and rendering buildings in water colors and making architectural models, painting, and sculpting. We had a weekly classes in painting and I had a world renowned artist, Piraji Sagara, as my teacher. After graduating as an architect, I studied in Sweden as a guest student and visited sites and museums of famous artist who have left their mark in history in Europe.

I worked for architectural firms and had my own practice for architectural design and professional color rendering services for over forty years in U.A.E, Canada, and U.S.A. During this time I was still painting and sculpting at home after a long working hours. My homes were like museums – full of paintings and sculptures. I stopped taking new architectural design projects in 2018 and opened a working studio in Fargo, U.S.A. I created several larger works in wood (damaged golden mask) and in MDF (Tutankhamun being appointed by queen Ankhesenamun). I still have several unfinished works in the studio. I retired in 2020 and moved to Orlando to be close to my grandchildren and two sons.

I have lot of time now, and spend most of it in painting and sculpting. I have no formal training in art and have no style, I think. I like primary colors. I dream art and my art is spontaneous. I will select few colors and pour them out of tube on to my painting surface and see how the mix of those colors direct me to further develop the art unless the art is a portrait. I have painted several such pieces during this year. Cosmos inspire me the most. I like the brilliant colors and the turmoil in space. Sometime I feel my art reflects state of my mind – wild, restless and confused. I use canvas and plywood for my paintings. I prefer plywood and oil paints, as it gives me longer working time. I use brush but I prefer plastic putty knives. It helps cover the surface faster and gives me opportunity to scratch the paint and create texture on plywood. You will notice scratching on my artwork.

I am looking forward to use other materials in my future paintings.