From scribbling on walls to excellence

Nicky Thomas, a down-to-earth contemporary Indian artist, based in Goa, speaks his mind about his art, inspiration and marketing.

Nicky Thomas, an eminent artist in Goa’s art circle, has been residing here for nearly a decade. Originally from Kerala, he spent several years in different parts of Northern India.

He reveals, “During my stay in Delhi, I would often holiday in Goa. However, it was never a happy feeling going back to a town I didn’t like. Around 1999, my wife and I decided to trade it in for Goa.”

He says that towards the end of his stay in Delhi, his art exhibited the turmoil and restlessness brewing within. Delhi was just not the spot for him.

At present, he resides in Saligao and is involved in graphics and print making (monoprints, woodcut), in addition to painting.

His artistic creations have been exhibited at numerous shows in Delhi, as well as at the Fontainhas Art exhibition and Art house in Goa.

Art talk

Nicky elaborates on his art technique, “Goa is a great place to derive visual inspiration. For me, art is about people. My work is very down to earth and I am opposed to this whole gallery culture.

I do not commercialise my art. People come to me and ask if they can display it or if I could design posters or hand paint T-shirts for them.

A sample of Indian Popular Art; Source: Wikipedia

I do Indian Popular Art (Pop Art), emphasising the banal elements of our culture. Pop art targets a broad audience, marking the return to sharp paintwork and representational art.

Stencilling, one of the earliest known techniques, allows me to create a limited amount of pictures and enables me to experiment with colour.

People are definitely able to pick-up on the ideas portrayed in my paintings. They are able to appreciate the funny side of it. I play with typography, as I like ‘type’ to be a part of art. I also like to incorporate humour in my work.

My paintings are not very big in size, so people can hang them up on their staircases or in the kitchen,” informs this artist on the rise.

Fine Art Training

Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), Baroda, Department of Fine Arts is known the world over as the cradle for art expression in India. Being a part of this vibrant community exposed Nicky to a diverse creative interaction.

Later, he completed his Masters at the prestigious National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.

He says, “In my opinion, attending a fine art school is important to a large extent. It gives you a foundation to do art and to stand on your feet.”

He continues, “Many a time, an artist can face a block for various reasons. For me, this is resolved when I see something I like. I could be passing by a ‘chai’ (tea) or juice shop and notice that their sides have drawings on them. It is this ‘naiveness’ that brings the humour out of it.”

Nicky’s earlier projects were environment-related. “Greenpeace; Down to Earth and India Magazine are some places that I have worked at. I have also done logos for organisations like People for Animals and The Organic Farming Association of India.

Apart from these, I have designed book covers for Birds of Goa; Backyard Birds of South India; The Book of Trees; Bhopal, The Inside Story and Where There Is No Psychiatrist.”

According to Nicky, making art is the easy part, as it is something that he enjoys doing. Handling the marketing side of his work is the most challenging, he says.

A bright future

“I want to be doing a lot more than what I am presently doing. Once my studio cum gallery opens at Palolem – Goa, I am looking forward to incorporating various types of art in my work.”

Thomas reveals that his wife is tremendously supportive of his art career, although the rest of his family was against it. For them, a career in fine art was unheard of. He has no regrets though. Art is his passion and will continue to be so.

Some of his all time favourite artist’s are the legendary Andy Warhol; Roy Lichtenstein, a prominent American Pop artist and the exceptionally talented F.N. Souza.

“Art should be fun and appealing to everybody, whether rich or poor. It should not be made only for the intellectual or the elite of society. It is essential to keep doing what you like,” is his message to aspiring artists.