Coffee Artist Amita Chudasama of India Interview with Ezju

Warm Up Questions!

Tell us about yourself

Since childhood, I was associated with an art. Other than creating painting; fashion
designing is another interesting area.

Where were you born, raised and live now?

I was born & raised in Mahuva – a town of Gujarat, India. As of now I live with
my family in another city of Gujarat – "Bhavnagar".

How would you describe your childhood?

Need and struggle are what excite and inspire us. I have always tried to give priority
to my art. Being an elder sister & to perform my duties, I had to theft my own moment
from this artist life. (Editor's Note: Meaning she had to "steal" time from her
art for family duties. JP) Probably now it is time to perform my role as an artist.

Coffee has completely changed our art style accidentally. Working with clay painting
has been also a nice experience.

How would you describe your life now?

I have always tried to see art as my profession. After completion of my degree in
Business Management I had two questions to answer myself – What & Why? I was eager
to make a career in advertisement. But our interest in promoting coffee & clay as
a medium of painting become our primary goal. Today when I meet someone, I feel
proud in interchanging my visiting card where it says “Mira Chudasama – Coffee Artist”.

Tell us about your art training

I had never undergone special art training earlier. "Rangoli" which is painted in
front of houses with floral & color was my first art that I learned from my grandmother
& mother. My grandfather has always appreciated my skills as an artist. That kept
my art alive. Probably my trial after creating colorful design & natural subjects
from anything that has color helped us in meeting art of coffee painting.

Before I joined fine arts of college; art has completely resided in my heart but
I needed to learn techniques & practices of an art. I learned multiple art styles
during my three years training in city based Fine Arts College.

How would you describe your artistic style? Your artistic philosophy?

Oh!! It’s certainly difficult & important question. Love your subject, expression
& interest and never limit yourself is only my artistic style.

Let it be any medium or moment; art is always an Aspiration to creation, Requisition
to carve history & Temptation to bring alive everything.

Which artist inspired you most? Which art movement?

title="Ajanta - Ellora’s carvings" />

I like Ajanta - Ellora’s carvings most. They were built between 7th and 13th Century.

Where do you feel an artist's place is in society?

Without an art; everything is monotony in this world. Thus artist has great responsibility
to make this world colorful & lively.

If money and availability were not an issue, what one painting would be hanging
in your home?

Not sure for a painting but I wish if I can live near by "Taj Mahal" where I can
see its beauty anytime.

When painting, do you listen to music or is it quiet? If music what kind/artist?

Yes. I love Gazals.

If given the opportunity, who in the world would you want to sit for a portrait
by you? What medium and style would you use?

My grandmother!! For sure, I would catch her expression & love towards me with
clay & coffee.

Who is your favorite historical artist? Why?

Picaaso and Turner.

What interest or hobbies do you have other than fine art?

Music (Gazals by Hariharan), Traveling & Cooking

How do you take your coffee or tea?

Tea with elichi & ginger!!

If a coffee roaster named a blend after you what would it be called? Would it be
a light, medium or dark roast?

Not sure.

All Warmed Up!

The obvious question: why coffee?

This is not the first time we (My sister & I) are using painting with very different
pigment or medium. We have simply used clay too. Yet we need to use oil color to
give brunt umber touches to our clay paintings. We have always been near to nature
and loved liveliness. To achieve liveliness & natural shades of historical mosque
carvings, we did many trials. Nothing happened accidentally. We tried a lot with
tea or clay. But coffee worked better.

Describe your coffee "paint" making process.

Mostly we use coffee with water. Sometime to achieve darkness; we boil it as well.

What is your coffee painting technique?

Coffee-painting technique requests not to place a canvas in standing position to
avoid the spreading of shades. Blend water with coffee in different extent to create
variety of shades of brown. This will enhance layer development in the painting.
Process of repeatedly applying the brush with added coffee paint will help the middle
portion emerge bit darker to differentiate it from light tone on outlines. The technique
is to use coffee powder mixed with water and depending on the density of the solution,
the shades also change. White space in the canvas adds to the contrast.

What do you find most unique about coffee as an artistic medium?

Shine and a pleasant aroma!!

Have you ever drank or tasted your coffee paint? Describe it!

Never done yet!! But yes I had drunk coffee while painting many times.

Have you ever had or made others taste your coffee paint? Describe their reaction!

Definitely others try to smell them. Yes, they get assured after smelling coffee’s
aroma in painting.

How do you think history books will look back on Arfé, coffee art, coffee painting,
and coffee artists?

No doubt where there are numerous coffee lovers around; coffee paintings would be
admired most.

How do you want history to remember you and your contribution to the art world?

If my grandpa would have not appreciated my early steps towards art; my sister or
I would have never been able to contribute so far. Being an elder sister; I had
lot of responsibilities. However my mother & siblings never let me put my art away.
It took me to 28 - 30 years to get my name printed as an artist in newspaper or
say a chance to display my art first time.

Today I believe that if you need to struggle to survive your art then do it. God
hasn’t gifted this art to everyone.

How do you want history to remember Arfé, coffee art, coffee painting, and coffee
artists?

If someone likes / buys coffee painting only because of it is made of coffee (oh!
That’s what we drink daily) it would be a great misunderstanding. Coffee is another
distinct medium with its amazing shining & great aroma to art. What if you color
a sculpture made of stone; probably it loses it's natural beauty. Irrespective coffee
painting is made of single shade; it breathes natural beauty of coffee.

What significance does coffee play in your culture? Your life?

Since I started painting with coffee; coffee has achieved precedence in my life.
Whenever I am so named as a coffee artist, I thank coffee a lot for being so distinct.

What cultural influences do you feel most impacted and/or are most reflected in
your work?

Every culture is distinct. I respect each one of them. However villages have most
impacted in my paintings.

Before I contacted you, how aware of other artists who use coffee as an artistic
medium?

Honestly I keep myself away from news & reading. But I come to know about you &
other artists from Mira.

Some people think Arfé or coffee art/painting is just a novelty or quick passing
fad. Do you believe this? Where do you see this movement going in the near and distant
future?

I don’t believe so. With respect to distant future; we all know that time changes
everything so fast. If I visit any national art exhibition today I will find most
of selected entries are of modern art where thoughts have taken place then realistic
art.

With respect to coffee, most visitors in display kept asking me about life of coffee
painting. How to preserve them is first & foremost question?

But everyone is aware of its ingredient & admires it. I have found them expressing
wonderful usage of coffee.

I believe that anything survives only if it has followers. Irrespective painting
with coffee is not easy & we have few in our team as of now; we will see number
of great coffee painting artists in future.

Has commercial advertising, marketing and design had an impact on your art, subject
matter and/or decision to use coffee as an artistic medium?

(Can you please elaborate? Do you mean if any coffee house / companies did help
us or if we advertised coffee paintings?)

How do patrons and art admirers describe your work?

I love listening ‘That’s Wonderful / That’s Amazing” from them.

How do critics describe your work?

Everyone likes this idea. But most of them carry doubt of its preservation.

How as the media received you and your work?

I am personally thankful to CNBC Awaz taking initiative to broadcast our coffee
paintings in news. During display at state art gallery, other leading media and
newspapers contacted us & published.

What level of satisfaction and success have you had on a personal, social, spiritual,
and commercial level with your art?

As I said earlier, art is my life. Earlier I didn’t make my art as profession, now
we are thinking of it.

What is your life dream in regards to your art? Have you fulfilled it? If not how
do you plan to reach it?

Oh!! Great applause in praise of my art and at least one national award for art!!

During interviews a local radio personality, Ichabod Caine on KMPS, ends his interviews
with the question I leave you with. What is your very first child hood memory?

That’s wonderful question. Daily visiting market & buying ice-candy with my grandfather
is my one of the unforgotten childhood memories. I had always been special for him.