‘My hard work took me from Mumbai slums to US’

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, June 15

After teaching portrait painting to former American President George W Bush in Texas, Vilas Tonape (50), an artist of international repute, is here these days to give live demonstration of his art to the youth.

Tonape, a teacher at the Art Department of Methodist University, North Carolina, US, said while studying art in India, artists find themselves wandering between styles and subjects.

“Though this restlessness is a treasure hunt, for this treasure they have to dig deep to learn the meaning of depth in art and that’s the treasure,” he said while talking to The Tribune at the residence of budding artist Nakshdeep in Kotkapura on Friday. “I keep visiting different places in India to ignite the passion for art in youth,” he said. He is on a two-day tour to Punjab.

Recounting his journey from a tiny room at Sewri chawl in Mumbai to art studio of former US President George W Bush at his Dallas mansion in Texas to teach portrait painting, Tonape said hard work was the only way to the top.

“It is just my hard work that took me from a slum in Mumbai to the US, making me the teacher of the American President and chairing the Department of Art at Methodist University in Fayetteville,” he said.

About his assignment with George Bush and his wife Laura, who acted as a model during the portrait painting session, Tonape said he was invited by the President to his mansion in Dallas on March 14 to teach portrait painting. “When I received a call and the President asked me to come to his art studio, I was completely thrilled,” he said.

“Bush is a good and attentive student and asked a lot of questions, discussing colour theory and other important aspects of portrait painting,” he added.

After graduating (BFA) in drawing and painting from Sir JJ School of Arts in Mumbai, Tonape moved to the US in 1994 to pursue his MFA (postgraduation) in painting from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth on full scholarship.

“Though my father was always short of money, he never discouraged me from pursuing my dreams,” he said.

Working in both figurative and non-representational modes, Tonape focusses on nature. “Paintings reflect my response to nature. They are conceived by an abstract, intangible sensing of nature that erupts into spontaneous imagery,” he said.