KASTURI KIRITHARAN


Kasturi Kiritharan is a painter interested in the blurring of the real and imagined, and how the act of recollection can tip memory into fiction. The mercurial and alchemical quality of oil paint, her preferred medium, guides the work she makes. Her way of making - using thin washes of oil paint, scratching into the surface, sanding back, staining, re-layering - mimics the fluidity of memory, where edges blur and details shift. Her process-led approach encourages her to stay open and speculative, allowing everyday images recorded in her sketchbook or camera roll – from moths and foxes to brick structures and rocky beaches – to re-emerge through the material possibilities of paint and surface.

Below, you can discover her thoughts and artistic reflections from her time in my classes:



© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan, made during the 'Painting Lines for Strong Composition’ workshop block

THE INTERVIEW 


What inspired you to join these workshops as the visiting artist, and what were your expectations beforehand?

I was an admirer of Lucy’s paintings and loved her visual language of using small, repeated geometric shapes to make up an image – so for these workshops I was most excited to get an insight into the specific techniques and principles that guided her work, and see how I could translate that into my own practice.




© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan

How did these workshops contribute to your artistic growth and development?

Working in watercolour really pushed me in terms of my mindset. I really had to commit to every stroke I was putting down. Unlike working with oils, with watercolours once the paper is stained, you can’t take it back. If I made a bad decision that ruined a painting, I just had to accept it and move on – and I think that mental challenge was unexpected but really helped me grow and be less fussy about my work.



© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan

Can you share any specific skills or techniques you learned during the workshops that you found particularly valuable?


I usually work in a really intuitive way, but I found that the workshops helped me keep the more formal elements of art making – in this case, the balance of verticals and horizontals, the weight of a line, composition – front of mind. It also made me think more carefully about how to  translate a drawing into painting. An interesting lesson I learned was that some elements that work really well in drawing might need to be re-imaged when transcribed through paint.



Did the workshops provide a supportive and engaging environment for learning and creativity? If so, how?



Yes definitely! The workshop structure itself was very well thought out, with warm up exercises, demos and lots of artist references to guide our own work. Lucy also checked in on all of us throughout the session, which meant we were always supported. We were all given the space to work in our own styles, while also being encouraged to try new ways of working, which was conducive to a creative and stimulating environment.


 

© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan

What aspects of the workshops did you find most enjoyable and rewarding?

I loved the range of drawing exercises we did before jumping into painting. Some of them were really unique and challenging and made me use my brain in a different way.


I also really loved the background chit chat during the workshops. It was always so wholesome getting insights into everyone’s day–to–day life and their personal painting practices. Overall it was a pressure–free, safe space to try new things and do what we all loved doing, and I always looked forward to it.



In what ways did the workshops help you overcome any creative challenges or obstacles you were facing?


After a long break from making bigger oil paintings, I was worried that my artistic well had dried up and I wasn’t really sure how to keep my practice feeling fresh. But this workshop series has given me a bigger visual toolbox to work from, confidence in a new medium and fuel to tackle new ideas.



How has your perspective or approach to your art practice changed as a result of participating in these workshops?
My colour palette has definitely expanded. Choice paralysis is a real thing when it comes to making art. Previously I had limited myself to the Zorn palette (with a few additional colours here and there) to keep things stress–free. I was thinking of continuing with the Zorn palette for a while, but after having done these workshops I’m excited to tackle a more expansive palette.


Did you find the workshop content relevant and applicable to your artistic goals and interests?

Grids, line and pattern have been a really key part of my work, and these workshops helped refine my use of those elements. These workshops also introduced me to lots of incredible artists who use line in a really special way – and I most definitely will be drawing inspiration from their works in future.




© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan

What advice would you give to someone considering attending a similar workshop series?

To anyone considering attending the workshops, I would highly recommend using the classes as a way of generating interesting ideas, experimenting, and learning new things, rather than having any expectations of making perfect pieces right off the bat. I personally feel like I did my best work after I had time to digest all the learnings from the class.





Overall, how would you describe the impact of these workshops on your artistic journey?

I haven’t touched watercolours in a long time, so not only have Lucy’s workshops re-invigorated my love for the medium, but they’ve also given me new ways of seeing, experimenting and making. I feel excited to fully realise all the watercolour pieces I’ve made so far.

 




© 2024 Kasturi Kiritharan