Arvind Crustna

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Statement

The works that I create take form through a range of media and techniques, from thick acrylic brushtrokes, watercolours, intricate lines of ink to bolder materials like glue, thread and even tea and coffee.

Each of the artworks may seem different and distinct from each other, however the underlying philosophy behind all of them is more or less the same: to create something aesthetically and intellectually beautiful that captures the viewer and makes them stop and think.

I am frequently inspired by nature and the built environment, and through many of my works, I try to find connections between the two. I suppose in the greater picture of things, what I try to do consciously and subconsciously is to bring harmony between little things in our everyday life that we sometimes tend to overlook.

For me, art is a way to reconnect our 'technological' lives with the natural world. Similarly, it helps to connect ourselves to our surrounding and outer emotions. By stopping and thinking, art becomes a form of meditation, allowing us to 'see' the essential.

The themes in my artwork therefore often depict how different elements work together to form a whole. Inspired by the old and new, the natural and man-made, solid and fluid for example, I try to find a point of calm and balance.

As most of the themes are somehow 'complex' and multi-layered, there is also a need to explore and experiment on various techniques to express them.

My new piece, “Faded Heritage” for example, is created using tea and candlewax, that are unconventional materials for drawing or painting, but that are so present in our everyday. The same artwork depicts abstract shapes, but if you look closer, you can notice familiar symbols like smileys and punctuation, which we encounter almost everyday through texts and graphic media.

As a whole, I can say that each artwork is beautiful for the senses, and has a message waiting to be read by the mind and heart.