God is in the details

Where there is a will, there is a way and Ajay Garg has proven that. Partially deaf and mute, Ajay expresses through his art and has gained worldwide recognition with his miniature paintings. Showcasing his collection of 50 miniature paintings at Jehangir Art Gallery from today, Ajay, with the help of his brother Sanjay Garg,u00a0 talks about his love for art and the hard work behind his paintings:



Art effect
I have been doing miniature paintings for 28 years. After an accident in which I lost my voice and hearing at the age of three; I was recommended other professions. But I finally ended up where I was destined to be. I started painting when I was five. Shri Sua Lal, my guru and also a court artist of Dholpur (Rajasthan), appreciated my paintings and decided to teach me. Later on, I learnt the art of extracting colours from gems and making squirrel brushes, used for miniature. To brush up my art, I'd sit in front of Hawa Mahal to paint.

Sweet pain
To create a collection of 50 paintings it takes around six years; some paintings take 15 days, some take six months, depending on the size and detailing of the painting. The work is very minute and is done under a magnifying glass. The real effort though is in the long and tedious process of making brushes and extracting colours from stones. The squirrel brushes are unique in design and each brush has its own function. The paper is handmade. The golden colour we use is made from real gold powder. It's hard work but, at the end of it, it's worth it!