Interview with Artist Ramya Sadasivam

I came across the paintings of artist Ramya Sadasivam in LinkedIn feeds (maybe when someone in my connections liked it). I connected with her and was fascinated by her paintings. I asked her if she was open for an interview and she agreed. Here is the interview.


1. What are your two favourite colours when you paint?

Burnt sienna and gold ochre.

2. You seem to prefer oil paintings and pencil sketches. Why do your prefer them? What are the drawbacks of other medium art forms?

Pencil is basic. So, any artist starts with pencil drawing. I prefer oil for its techniques and durability which can't be expected in other mediums.

3. Many of your portraits have women and children in them. The numbers of portraits with men are less. Are there any specific reasons why artists prefer the female form over men?

Paintings with men in them do not sell well. Only poses with women sell.

4. You have done a lot of nude portraits. Who is the audience for these portraits? Has there been any negative feedback for this art form?

Negative yes, but lot of the leftists and journalists motivate me to pursue my style. Audience for the nude works are those with private collections.

5. The pricing for your artwork is nominal with rates from Rs.1000 to Rs. 3000. How do you fix the price, as in why is some painting priced more than another?

Only commission works ( portraits drawn using a high resolution photograph)  range from 1k to 20k. Rest of the works are pretty expensive. I do not fix the rates, my curators do.


6. Are you a born artist or did you learn painting from someone?

I am not a born artist. I got interested and inspired in my childhood when I was in 6th or 7th first seeing my mom painting a watercolor of a princess. Then there was Stephen, Imran (my school mates) and my drawing master who planted art inside me.

7. You seem to have participated in a lot of art exhibitions. What are the typical challenges you face when you prepare for or participate in an exhibition?

Politics is something which is very prevalent in our field. Realistic works that show figure and subject are looked down upon , while modern and abstract paintings with no subjects are looked at as masterpieces. This is the only challenge I face in India, whereas in US the culture is changing.

8. You seem to have worked as an Art Teacher at Alagappa school. How was that experience?  Do you plan to start your own art academy?

The experience was great. Children are bodies of positive energy which should be put to good use. Art is definitely a positive way to unleash energy. I have no plans of starting any institute.

9. What do you think about the memes that are prevalent now? Do you see yourself painting memes in future?

No. I am not a cartoonist. I would like to depict the culture of India from religion to dowry, to forced motherhood just the way it is. I would like to be a witness of the society.

10. What is your advice for upcoming artists?

Art is a very difficult business in India. Only promoted/experienced artists survive. Therefore, do not give up practice. Find yourself 1 hour a day or 1 hour in 2 days or in a week. Just don't give up. Branding is as important as practicing art. Let people know you exist. Good work does not sell by itself. It is marketing that sells a work.

Artist Ramya Sadasivam

Here is a link to her website: http://ramyasadasivam.com/

E-mail: ramyasadasivam@gmail.com 

Phone: +91 99626 95960