The recognition of the Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize to F.N. Souza: The Archetypal Artist by Janeita Singh (published by Niyogi Books) amplifies the Goa-born artist’s birth centenary year that is being celebrated across India. It also comes at a point when Souza, the founding member of the Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) in Mumbai, is getting renewed scholarly interest. The book is a collection of essays on the life and art of Souza, who is known for his bold lines, distorted human figures, raw expressions, and provocative themes. An interdisciplinary study of Souza’s art, Janeita combines feminist perspectives, Jungian psychology, and cultural analysis, unpacking his depictions of sexuality, religion, and identity, in her book. A tete-a-tete with Janeita, an academician-turned-literary and art critic.
Congratulations on winning the Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize! What does this recognition mean to you personally, especially for a book on an artist as iconic as Souza?
The book is a culmination of a 12-year research project, and this journey was more of an act of surrender as the book insisted on writing itself. The writing and the research took me to many museums and reading rooms in India and abroad, especially in Europe. The award has brought a lot of credibility and validation my way, for which I am heartened. It inspires me to continue my research and to contribute meaningfully to the world of art and literature.
You’ve studied F.N. Souza’s work closely. What aspects of his art and personality made him such a compelling subject for you?
The quest for a book on Souza began when I was going through a personal crisis in 2011. In the context of the self-healing journey, I began looking at Souza’s art yet again, and this time I began perceiving new insights in his body of work. This was also made possible because by then I had been embedded in Carl Jung’s psychology for over a decade, and I began seeing shadows and archetypes dancing on Souza’s canvas. So, as a very young artist, Souza had the ability to tap into the unconscious and to mine primordial images which he gave shape and form with elements of art on his canvas. I went with Souza because of his radical honesty. I would say the uneasy space in Souza’s work became my driving force and led me on this research.
Could you walk us through the process of designing and conceptualising the book’s cover — how did the final choice reflect Souza’s artistic spirit?
Initially, we went with a sketch of Souza and a photograph where he is in his 70s. But that cover didn’t really warm up to me. I wanted to go in with an original artwork of Souza. So we began scouting, wrote to a few collectors, and I would say it was hard, really coming upon an artwork that aligned with what we wanted and also what the publisher thought was right. The book cover is designed by Misha Oberoi, a very successful Delhi-based graphic artist. With just a few lines and cross-hatches, Souza could create a whole artwork, and Misha quite deftly incorporated his motifs in the title of the book. We were successful in getting an art image from Jane and Keto Daboor’s collection. And there’s also a quote by Carl Jung because I studied Souza’s art through a Jungian lens.
How do you see Souza’s legacy influencing contemporary Indian art, and what conversations do you hope your book will spark in today’s art world?
This book is a feminist reading of Souza’s art with an equal thrust on its study through a Jungian lens and East-West philosophy. Souza’s radical heart has more impact than ever today. Many of Souza’s concerns about the denied feminine principle, lack of free human consciousness and transpersonal psychology are being addressed. So today, when embodiment practice has caught on at the world stage in fields of health, trauma and creativity, Souza’s vision has finally materialised.