Jai ‘Zaiu’ Ranjit : Have Surface, Will Paint!

Jai 'Zaiu' Ranjit

From the doodles on his shoes to the splotches of paint on his jeans – everything about Jai ‘Zaiu’ Ranjit screams ‘ARTIST’ when you first see him. This ardent Doctor Who fan who always fancied of being an Air force pilot, started painting on a whim on the advice of a friend. A month of research later, Jai knew that painting was no longer a hobby, but his means of life.

In a candid conversation with Jai at Leaping Windows Café, I not only discovered his horrible math scores but also his work, fears and inspiration. With solo shows at the Art Entrance Gallery in Kala Ghoda and graffiti as part of The Wall Project, this 24-year-old self-taught abstract artist paints everything but portraits.

Jai’s decision of taking art fulltime was backed by a strong support from his family and friends. Predictably, there were also people around him who advised him to “not take up art fulltime” but Jai had already made up his mind! “When I discussed the prospect of taking art fulltime with my father, all he said was that do it if you’re absolutely sure and if you’re certain that you can make a living out of it.”, says Jai.

Jai with his work, Linearity

Initially, Jai confessed of having little or no fear of money since “the art market was well back then. But two years down the line, the market hit a low. Art is my passion but it’s also my job, a passion that is also earning me an income.”  So what exactly inspires Jai and his artwork? “Everything under the Sun, including the Sun. Choice of music at times inspires the colors I use in my artwork. The music, moods and everything around me transforms into my painting. I also believe in the policy of have-surface-will-paint. From shoes to faces, I’ve painted them all. Kandinsky has been a favourite. Among the Indian artists, I love Brinda Chudasma Miller’s artwork who has also been my mentor”, says Jai on his favourite artists and artwork.

We’ve all heard that art facilitates a catharsis of our built-up emotions, and I thought what better way to validate but from the artist himself, “Painting helps me get rid of negativity. When I’m annoyed, I vent it all out on canvas. Then I rip the canvas. I’ve taken a knife to the painting more than once.”

Jai 'Zaiu' Ranjit

Jai’s most endearing quality to me would be his ebullient smile (rather grin) and the accessibility as an artist. “There’s a lot to be happy about. If I can’t make others smile with my jokes, my face should.” says Jai. And I wouldn’t disagree. You’ll find Jai tweeting at people, inviting them to watch him work or even help him work all the time! “The best thing about my job is that there is no time restriction. I set a pace for myself. There’s very little scope for stress.”

Like I mentioned before, Jai is anything but conventional. So you don’t necessarily have to head to an art gallery to buy his artwork. Jai consistently auctions his artwork on Twitter. He adds, “You can also buy my artwork from Facebook or buy it personally from me over e-mail.”

So if you’re doing up your house and are looking for paintings to deck your walls, or heck even willing to spatter your walls with mad murals, you know whom to call. And if you do, don’t forget to tell us about it!

Blogger: Ekta Tibrewal

Relentless searcher of something. Wanderlust. Loves staring into spaces and sipping fresh watermelon juice. Restless soul. Constantly finds ways to procrastinate on the Internet. Dreamer and over-sleeper.

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