Her journey began with a 128 pack of crayons and a tendency to get her hands dirty, and has taken her all the way to an acceptance into Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. Senior Karishma Sonde sat down with The Saxon Scope to discuss her talent as an artist.
Saxon Scope: How did you get started as an artist?
Karishma Sonde: I don’t think that I can actually say when or where it happened—because it wasn’t like I went out to do art, or that it just struck me one day. It’s just something that happens, I think.
Saxon Scope: What has made you continue with art?
Karishma Sonde: It helps me focus. I have a really short attention span and I get bored really easily, but making something helps me concentrate more.
Saxon Scope: Who do you look up to in the art world and why? Anyone you imitate?
Karishma Sonde: Anyone who uses a lot of color, shape, and texture. I love Roy Lichenstein and Andy Warhol because of how graphic their artwork is and Deborah Butterfield’s manipulation of material. I like Dale Chihuly’s use of light and color, Salvador Dalí and Marcel Duchamp because they’re both absolutely ridiculous. Jenny Holzer’s use of words, Cai Guo Qiang’s use of space, and Gilbert and George’s colors and graphics are all things I appreciate. I don’t know that I imitate anyone exactly, but from each of them I’ve learned that there are different ways of seeing and using things.
Saxon Scope: What are your favorite mediums?
Karishma Sonde: I’m not sure if I have a favorite medium; I like to use everything and mix it all together. I can use just about anything, it really doesn’t matter—anything from acrylic paint to limestone, although, I absolutely despise watercolor. Art is more about the process than the material—or even a combination of that. I play around with different things and figure out how certain materials work with others and combine them. I love stencil work and screen-printing because of the processes behind them—they require a lot of thinking, and there’s an interesting method to get the result just right.
Saxon Scope:What is the project you are most proud of and why?
Karishma Sonde: My definite favorite is this one (pictured) because that was when I stopped trying so hard doing something that wasn’t fun for me. I just stopped. I said earlier that I get bored easily, and with this piece I just kept moving. I didn’t have a plan when I started out; I started layering newspaper and paint, and just went with it. That is pretty much how my artwork has progressed from there. I don’t really plan things out; I may have a vague idea of what I want, but I just kind of let things happen. This piece also got me thinking about trying other forms of art, now I experiment with just about everything. I found out that I really like screen-printing and stone carving, and that I don’t have to like watercolor. Because I don’t.
Saxon Scope: Any artist ‘quirks’ that you would say you have?
Karishma Sonde: I like getting hands on with the materials that I use—literally. If there’s nothing on my hands by the end of class, I probably haven’t been doing anything, I like getting messy. That is why I have a hard time dealing with computer art; I can’t physically deal with anything in a computer, there’s a mouse, a keyboard, a monitor in the way. Also, if I’m having a conversation with you, I’m also studying your face. I’m still listening to whatever you’re saying, but there’s a huge possibility I may just blurt out “I like the planes in your nose” or “your left eye has a cool slope on the inner corner.”
Saxon Scope: Do you plan on making a career out of your talent?
Karishma Sonde: I’m not quite sure. I would like to use it within whatever career I choose, but I don’t know if I’d pick it as a career in itself.
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Photos By Cathy Kiess