Shalini describes herself as a ‘Creative Experimentalist.’ She says, ‘For me creativity is a journey of experimentation and exploration. The process is as important as the end result. Whether it’s painting, digital design or jewellery making, I rarely start with a preconceived idea. I like to see where the material and momentum take me.’
Talking about her work Shalini says, ‘As a contemporary artist, I enjoy still life, abstract, figurative, landscape work and stylised portraiture. In my still life paintings, I like playing with intense areas of light and shade and contrasting that with the subtlety of translucent objects like glass vases and ornaments. Recently I have found old doors very interesting subjects to paint. As an artist I find the intriguing duality of what lies beyond or what lies within fascinating. Capturing the character and personality of an old weather-beaten door is like portraiture. Every scar, scrape, groove and ornament provide endless opportunity for visual story telling.
I use a mix of acrylic paint, liquid charcoal, graphite pencil and high pigment inks to create textural and visual layering in my paintings. I also work in watercolour and gouache.’
Shalini is passionate about design and has a love for all things handmade, jewellery being one of them. Shalini has created her own jewellery brand called HUTKE – a collection of statement gemstone jewellery. Each piece is original and handmade to order in limited edition. Shalini enjoys creating bespoke statement pieces and describes her jewellery as ‘Wearable Art’.
