Satish Gupta is a modern-day renaissance man. He’s a painter, sculptor and in addition to all that, even writes poetry. He studied at the Delhi College of Art and then won a scholarship to study graphics in Paris for two years. As soon as he returned to India, he began painting and has held solo shows all over the country.

Internationally his works have been displayed in well-known galleries in Paris, London, Ottawa, New York, Melbourne and Spain. He has created graphic murals for public spaces including a 260ft-long mural at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Besides all this, he’s written a book of poems called I am the Dewdrop I am the Ocean.

Gupta turns out his creations from his studio in Gurgaon and he’s been working on his latest collection of sculptures for about a year. Tentatively named Transcending Time and Eternity the collection is almost complete.

His wife Amita studied at Lady Shri Ram College and did a diploma in journalism from Delhi’s Indian Institute of Mass Communication after which, she became a professional photographer and travelled around the country. Satish and Amita got married in 1994 and have a six-year-old son. After their son was born, Amita switched from photography to designing and now sells her label India India at different stores in Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Delhi.

Satish:

I met Amita for the first time when I was the art editor of Sun, which is a family-owned magazine. One day she visited our office with a photographer who worked for us. I asked her to model for us but she refused. I was amazed because top models like Nafisa Ali had modelled for us and here was this girl who turned down the offer. I was impressed and thought to myself, “That’s some classy girl!” So that was my first impression of her.

That day, we exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, and parted company. We met again only after 13 years through common friends.

What fascinated me about her was her spontaneity and liveliness. She was at ease with herself. I was attracted to her but I thought that she was seeing another common friend. Those days I was involved with our pots and plants boutique called Prakriti, which is now owned by my sister. Amita became a good friend of my sister and used to come to Prakriti frequently. As a result we used to meet very often and gradually became very close friends.

In fact, when one of my paintings was being auctioned in Bombay, I called her and another friend along for moral support. When I saw them together I was a bit upset thinking she was seeing him but soon learnt there was nothing between the two.

Amita used to come to our house and was like a family friend. We did a lot of travelling together with friends and went on a trip to Bali and Goa. But I think something happened in Goa when both of us realised that there was something more to the relationship. There had been undercurrents all those years but we never realised it until it finally happened.

After four years of courtship, we got married. Today life is moving at a smooth pace with her around me. Even if we disagree on something, there is no shouting but rational discussion.

I often complain to her that I come third in her list of priorities. Our dog Giorgio is Amita’s darling, then comes our son Ananda and lastly it’s me. Something I can’t get over is her habit of hugging Giorgio even when we’re eating. I think she should wash her hands after that.

But I must say we’re having a wonderful time together. Nowadays lots of couples live together when they are in a relationship but I think there is something beautiful about the fact that you’re married, which is a total commitment. As an artist I’ve always loved painting her and she features prominently in my desert collection. She is my most precious model.

Amita:

In any relationship communication is important and Satish is someone I can easily talk to. We were friends first and liking him came naturally to me as I could talk about anything under the sun with him. He is a complete gentleman and if we disagree on any issue, we always talk it out. I believe one can even agree to disagree and that leaves no room for argument.

It is a blessing to have someone who understands and lets you do what you want to because I have seen people have so many restrictions in their relationships. When I look around, I see I’m so spoilt and take so many things for granted. For me, this freedom also creates a sense of responsibility.

After marriage when my son Ananda was born, I stopped working for two years and gave all my time to him. But when I started working again as a photographer, it became too much and I knew that it was time to change my profession.

Even Satish encouraged me to work again, saying that that I had the talent and should make the best use of it. Since I always loved clothes, I thought I’d try my hand at textiles. I worked with craftsmen all over the country and learnt to develop textiles using traditional techniques. I was a regular customer at Ogaan and was asked to create a line for them.

This was my first break in the field of textiles and I haven’t looked back since. I started my label, India India and offers came pouring in. Though work keeps both of us on our toes, we do take out time to talk ? be it on the phone, in the evening or during our morning walks together. I must say Satish is not only a good husband but a very good father too.

Also Satish works with great involvement and feeling. That’s why he always comes out with something new without being repetitive. As a person, he is very calm and composed. Looking back I feel I was a volatile person but with him I’ve learnt not to react instantly and first see things calmly. He has also taught me not to fear the unknown. From him I’ve learnt if you have a thought just carry it through and then there’s nothing much to fear. With him around, I do not have to look out to make new friends because I know Satish is always there to listen and talk to me.

Photograph by Jagan Negi