What: Sunita Kumar’s new works

Where: The Promenade Lounge, Taj Bengal

When: April 10-15; 11am-8pm 

There’s a quiet that defines Sunita Kumar’s Middleton Street house, yet it pulsates with life. Sunita and her husband, the tennis veteran Naresh Kumar’s, zest for life is infectious. Guess that’s what “life surrounded by art” does to you. We called on Mrs Kumar ahead of her painting exhibition at Taj Bengal and chatted in their living room, which grows on you with every visit. 

Tell us about your latest exhibition at Taj Bengal…

It is a selection of works. There’ll be flowers, landscapes… there is one with an avenue of trees. When I was driving with my family in Kashmir, there is an avenue with chinars… I can never forget that sight. I haven’t done the exact chinars though. There is Mother Teresa of course… she with kids, praying… her room… I drew whatever came to my mind about Mother that moment…. Mother’s room used to be above the kitchen and it was the hottest room with no fan. There are images of Mother praying too. Then there’s the Maidan, a sunset from the aircraft, the yellow gulmohar, mustard fields, a tea garden, a train to Darjeeling.... 

It’s been almost 50 years since your first painting exhibition…

Can you imagine?! (Smiles) How time flies. I got married in November 1961… I had been painting before that. Art was my subject and I had got an A in it in Loreto House for Senior Cambridge. But over there I was doing figure drawing, plant life and leather work… making patterns in leather. I got married soon after school and then my husband also encouraged me. So, I continued with my painting. At that time, I did oils and then over the years, I kept doing oils and I had a few shows in oils.

Over the years, I have had 17 shows in London, two in Florence and then in Bombay… Calcutta. I had five shows with M.F. Husain. He always stayed with us and always encouraged me. He made me change from oil to acrylic because he said oils after a long period eventually lose their colour… they fade. I am almost self-taught. The work that I have done over the years… not that I was trying to be different, but you know every time I finished with a show and then went back to it after a break, I found (smiles) that I was doing something different. There was a change. I thought what was happening to me? I mentioned this to Husainsaab and he said that this happened to every artist… ‘I can’t pick up the brush and do a horse identical to the one I did last time,’ he said.  

What would you paint in your initial years?

I was painting landscapes and different things connected with either Calcutta or may be Delhi, like monuments… or even people... my father used to work in Shalimar Paints and he used to bring some things. I would play around with those colours.

My husband, when he was working, had a room for me next to his in his office, where I could paint and keep all my art things. He stayed out a lot… in the morning he left at 6 to go to the (Calcutta) South Club and play and then he would go to the office. If I didn’t come to his office, I wouldn’t see him the whole day….

Then by 1968, I felt I must have an exhibition because I had collected a few… about 18 or so over seven years… 1961-1968. When I had that show, I sold. It gave me such a thrill… Russi (Mody) arrived and he picked one. I was like, my god! And everybody was paying also. I felt I could earn… I couldn’t believe it! (Laughs) I had never imagined somebody would pay me to buy my paintings. It had been all fun for me so far. Even now, I enjoy painting. It gives me a lot of peace and quiet. I listen to music while painting, but not always. Sometimes I don’t want any noise. It depends on your mood and what subject you are doing.

What did you buy with your first painting pay cheque?

I don’t remember what I did with my first one, but when I went to Florence and I sold my first painting over there, it paid for my string of pink corals… they were called Angel Skin.  

Did the nature of your work change after you met Mother Teresa?

Well, definitely it did. The subjects were different. I started painting on Mother in 1995. I met her in 1964-65. When I showed her my first works on her (in oil), she said: ‘Why haven’t you given me eyes?!’ (Giggles) I asked her to autograph them and she did. Later on, she signed 15 more paintings for me. Those are all with the family. No question of selling those! Then I had shows primarily on Mother a few times, after she passed away… Husain and I did one of those shows together. He said let’s do 20-20. The way he said, I asked him if he was talking of cricket! He said: ‘Nahin, nahin… thoda serious ho jao’. 

You were lucky enough to have been associated with M.F. Husain from such close quarters…

I know! I think it was a miracle. He was like a Picasso. He would sit on the floor and paint… I would ask him how he swept the colours… he has painted many times in this house (Middleton Street). He always encouraged me and educated me… but he never told me… just sit here and listen to me…. He always used to tell me to put on some classical or Sufi music on.

You were never apprehensive to show him your work?

Never… not at all… in fact you know, he lost three bets to me over tennis championships. Twice I wanted (Rafael) Nadal to win. He gave me paintings. The relationship started with a bet. Vijay (Amritraj) was playing in Delhi, the nationals, against Mal Anderson. In the fifth set, he said, ‘Okay, Sunita, let’s have a bet’. I said I think Vijay would win. Vijay won and we went home. We were at the Oberoi and the next morning the reception told us that Husainsaab had left something for me I thought it must be a letter thanking me for taking him to the tennis match. He took out this huge painting… a black horse in oil. It was still wet. He had painted it overnight. 

What are your takeaways from him purely as an artist?

Well, his memory... I have learnt to enjoy Calcutta and these things which had woken him up. M.F. Husain was in love with Calcutta…. I would never dream of going and living somewhere else.

Has your process changed over the years?

I paint when I am feeling free and ready and I paint in the verandah because that has the best light. There is no fixed time. Now I use only acrylic. I must have left oils since the early ’70s. I enjoy it because it dries quickly and I can give the colours I want.

Apart from M.F. Husain, who all have been your influences?

I never met Jamini Roy but I love his work. They are so simple and different. Even Ganesh Pyne. I saw him painting. Naresh and I went to his house one Sunday.

I love Manjit Bawa. I love colours. In fact, people have remarked about the colours in my paintings. They are not jarring. I am into soft colours. That goes into my paintings also. That doesn’t mean I don’t use red, but it’s a different red.

What do you look for in a painting?

That I have to live with them. All these paintings, even if I see them 200 times, I am enjoying them. We have only white walls... I have worked on the walls. Life surrounded by art is fun. It keeps you happy. How much can you eat or shop or travel?