Pavan Rajurkar

Pavan Rajurkar: As a child, I was highly impressed by the cartoons and used to try & imitate them through my art. All my notebooks were full of scribblings and sketches. This keen interest slowly grew into a serious involvement with art. Fortunately, my parents recognized my talent & interest and encouraged me in all the areas of my field.

I was provided with different stories and coloring books and enrolled in various drawing competitions in school. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also posed for me at times so I could draw them!  The activity then became enjoyable and an integral part of my childhood.  My sources of inspiration were movie posters being painted in my town. As well as the Ganesha & Durga sculptures created by artists during the festive seasons. All these mundane everyday activities influenced my decision to be an artist.

Pavan Rajurkar: Every art has a common source  – stories. And I have always loved listening to them, especially Indian fables. Then, as I got acquainted with different art forms in our culture, I realized they are all a great source of relatable tales

As a kid, I used to draw mythological characters from the stories which my parents and grandparents used to narrate to me. Then I learned to seek inspiration from my surroundings; be it colors, culture, or people. In my view, anything and everything is inspiring in one way or the other.

Pavan Rajurkar: Yes, it has been a difficult phase. Unpredictable, unexpected, and never experienced before. Although my art is my profession, it is also where I find my solace. So yes, I turned to it even more to find some peace. But two things I strongly believe in our- mindful practice in maintaining calm and strictly following safety precautions.

To maintain a sense of calmness and patience; I spend more time at my workstation and indulge in a lot of documentaries/movies these days/. As well as started experimenting in the kitchen and creating some new dishes! Another important part of my routine is calling home every day and staying in touch with my parents! Sometimes, I happen to pick on the moments they describe and sketch them out. So, I circle back to art which eventually helps me to shift my focus away from the negativity.

Pavan Rajurkar: Since the pandemic hit us, things changed drastically. Not for me but everyone has suffered in their way trying to cope with this scenario. This stirred something in me and I decided to portray it in my art.  I chose to call the series ‘Trapped’ because it represents the way we all feel in these times; stuck in the same time loop. Even the color schemes I have chosen are basic but brightest shades that create contrast while highlighting the gravity of the subject.

Pavan Rajurkar: I like to explore new styles whenever I get the chance to do so with varying projects. But most of my work is a reflection of my observation of the surroundings. The styles which I follow or create are not cubism but you can call them a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles. While there is some Indian influence in my style, it also goes beyond that and explores new areas. Overall, one thing I’d like to reiterate is that the key source of inspiration is always found in one’s surroundings. It is a live gallery of references for styles, colors, and whatnot.

Pavan Rajurkar: I usually identify the main points regarding the project before I begin working on the final coloring. The topic, brand color schemes, tone, and mood of the illustration, are the things that I note down initially. Sometimes I also create small thumbnail options so the client can visualize and relate to the final output.

Pavan Rajurkar: To say the least, it was a very satisfying, delightful experience. The requirement was to create 12 illustrations for the new digital campaign and the brief was to show how music is omnipresent in our day-to-day life. We listen to music while cooking, dancing, in the gym, or even when just spending some quality time.

This got us started by identifying a set of relatable situations which we all experience every day. While we adhered to the existing Spotify brand guidelines, we aimed at a minimalistic style of illustrations focusing on the brand colors. Not to mention, creating stories with their talented team and cracking a simple effective style was a fun process.

Pavan Rajurkar: This project gave me a free hand up to an extent since it came with an open brief. All the artists who were working on it had kept in mind the current scenario in the country and also our personal experiences related to the subject. After ideation and streamlining the thoughts with Vinay Gadekar (my friend), I worked on this idea which is about the contradiction in our words and actions when it comes to our attitude toward nature.

We always speak about respecting and worshipping nature in all its forms, however, it doesn’t show in our actions, right? We also speak of how there needs to be a balance between nature & development. Even a small plastic bottle is equivalent to a ‘bullet’ for sea creatures. And our negligence today is going to cost the lives of some organisms to such an extent that we will forever lose the “balance”.

Pavan Rajurkar: I give my heart to all the projects I create but if I have to pick a few then ‘Bappanshi Gappa’, a Marathi poetry collection, is one of the closest to my heart. It depicts the humble friendship between deities and kids. The Kalaghoda print campaign and McDonald’s calendars are also very special to me. Some of my other favorites include projects for Zoya – A Tata Product Jewellery Store, Nat Geo Planet or Plastic, Audi q8 and HT 48 Hours, and Society Masala Tea.

Pavan Rajurkar: Clients who know and are clear about what they want are simply the most sorted of them all. Also, those who give open briefs make the collaboration quite interesting for me. As that allows me to play with colors and style without being restricted to certain set rules. Most of the work which I handle includes shaping the idea through interesting visuals. Mainly, my job is to narrate a story through visuals. 

So clients who come with clarity and believe in your skills are the most ideal, according to me. However, as you associate with the same client more than once, gradually that understanding builds between both parties. This even helps clients to frame the briefs according to artists’ understanding and bring out the best of their skills.