A few years ago, the British artist David Hockney, known for bold colours and landscapes, used his iPad to create drawings that led to ‘David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition’ in San Francisco. Like Hockney, artists around the world are using the iPad as a canvas. We spoke to two artists — Keerat Kaur and Sudeepti Tucker – who are using the iPad to take art to a different level (the two of them were — separately — also part of Today at Apple sessions).
Keerat Kaur
A Canadian-born artist and architect with Sikh-Punjabi roots, Keerat Kaur’s work takes shape through the disciplines of painting, sculpture, hand-embroidery, music, and architecture. She gathers inspiration from Sikh philosophies to evoke themes of spirituality and fantasia. Her aesthetic lies in the realm of the surreal, merging mundane and dream-like qualities. Here’s more from Keerat about her art and Today at Apple session, which took place earlier this month.
History, folklore, heritage, music… everything has a place in your art. What do you think is the purpose of an artist in 2022?
An artist encourages an audience to expand their thinking in a way that allows contemplation of both future and past. Just because a moment in history has dissipated temporally doesn’t mean that gems weren’t harvested in those times. One of my aims has always been to incorporate ancient forms of making and expressing into the contemporary realm. This results in juxtapositions uncommon to the eye, pushing the viewer to more delicately examine what is before them and also appreciate the treasures of the past.
What role does technology play (like using an iPad Pro) in your art?
Technology, especially my beloved iPad Pro, continuously augments the way that I create. Although much of my work is generated in the material realm through physical paintings and ceramic sculptures, a significant portion of my practice is digital. First, it has allowed me an efficient method of planning my work by playing around with collage, scale and colour combinations. The Procreate app serves as the perfect digital sketchbook as well. This app has also served as an efficient way to create stand-alone wok. For illustrative work, the iPad Pro is an expedient tool, as I don’t have to prep my studio, set out pigments etc. I can work wherever I am.
Keerat Kaur
You have a formal training in architecture. What does that bring to your art?
I have always been very attentive to detail and technical precision and I think that my training and career in architecture further refined that. Architecture made me a better designer and motivated me think intentionally about composition, form, and colour-palettes. I’ve become spatially aware and attentive to proportion and usability, especially as this relates to 3D work and ceramic sculptures.
I’ve also merged architecture with surrealist illustration through conceptual projects like ‘Heart House’, see here. Notions of closeness and vulnerability are commonly expressed through the trope of the heart. A home is one of the most intimate built spaces that can be experienced, and ‘Heart House’ is an architectural allegory for this feeling of belonging. Each space in the house is a metaphor for the different members of the human heart, reflecting their functions and roles in oxygenating and recharging blood. For example, the inferior Vena Cava brings deoxygenated blood to the heart to be oxygenated and refreshed. Similarly, the washroom and bath area of the home (which are in the position of the Vena Cava) are a place for the resident to refresh and energise for the day.
How connected does your family remain with India and their roots? And do you plan to capture your family’s journey through your art?
My family is as connected as they could be to Panjabiat whilst being geographically distanced. My parents did everything in their power to expose me and my brother to our history through music, literature, sacred scriptures and beyond. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend extended periods of time all around India (both for leisure and for artistic and musical training), and I am constantly inspired by what I see, feel, eat and hear. Travelling, in general, is an effective way to ignite all of our senses, prompting our minds to forge new relationships with what we experience and how we share it with the world.
Much of my work is a reflection of my family’s journey. We’ve always been deeply connected to Sikh poetry and sacred scriptures, and these themes find a prominent space within my expression.
Sudeepti Tucker
Sudeepti Tucker puts out her illustrations on Instagram and you can access them @sudeepti.tucker
Sudeepti Tucker studied in India and New York, and has worked with many global brands. Creating in both analogue and digital mediums, her work explores themes of nature, expression and femininity while opening up dialogues about roots, identity and image. In her personal narratives, she explores the complexities of navigating one’s inner and outer worlds and of the self, in consonance with nature. She’s exhibited her work — which explores nature, femininity and selfhood — at Art Basel, Miami Beach and Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai. This is what Sudeepti had to say about her Today at Apple session which took place earlier this month.
What inspired you to become an illustrator?
I have been painting and drawing since I was a little kid. It started out as just a means of self expression. Over time, it grew into a medium that helps me amplify my voice and message as an artist and a resident of our shared planet.
I create in both analogue and digital mediums. My work explores themes of nature, expression and femininity while opening up dialogues about roots, identity and image. In my personal narratives, I explore the complexities of navigating both one’s inner and outer worlds and of the self, in consonance with nature.
All my work is driven by the desire to better understand ourselves and our place in this world. Inspiration is everywhere, in the people we know and meet, the places we have been, the stories we hear, in everything we feel. When I sit down to paint, it all comes together in surprising ways.
I suppose you paint as well as use technology. If you can share a bit about the work process and in what ways does technology help?
Technology has been a great help in simplifying my otherwise messy art process! I have been able to make my designs print and production ready much faster and with far more ease. Finishing and editing, two aspects that are pain points with analogue work and traditional mediums, become much simpler with creative tech tools.
Sudeepti Tucker
What did you want to showcase during your Today at Apple session, earlier this month?
I shared some insight into my creative journey and lead a hands-on workshop to help the attendees create their very own fun sticker packs for Diwali. A great thing about these sessions is that they are completely free, beginner friendly and anyone can sign up. I predominantly use the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for my illustrative work. For anyone used to drawing on paper, the transition is very smooth. For this session we will be working on Procreate. As a general rule, I divide my workflow between Procreate or Adobe Photoshop/Fresco for illustrations and background, and Adobe Illustrator for typography.
You have studied art in India and New York. One’s environment can make a difference to how art (like music or books) is approached. How has Delhi and New York defined your work?
While I was in Delhi, like a sponge I absorbed its nuances. Delhi is a vibrant city full of hustlers, rich architectural history, lively markets and a chaotic creative culture. New York, meanwhile, has global influences, a very avant garde cultural scene and a diverse crowd. My environmental influences only made themselves known when I shifted away. In going abroad, I came to better understand my Indian roots and identity. And in moving back, I brought with me learnings from different cultures and a new perspective. In time, I can say my aesthetic and voice have evolved to become a colourful combination of both these experiences.