RUPY TUT'S FIRST TRIP TO CANADA - SIKH ARTIST WOWS BRAMPTON
Emerging American artist Rupy C. Tut's personal journey back to her Punjabi roots
American artist Rupy C. Tut's work is currently being featured at PAMA
(Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives) as part of Sikh Heritage Month. As the
first large solo showing of her calligraphy and miniature paintings in Canada,
Tut was excited to be part of the exhibition highlighting her culture at a
gallery where Sikh people's culture is celebrated. As a woman, Tut is motivated
to embody her heritage in beautiful ways. On Sunday, April 23 she presented a
talk about her styles of art to a PAMA packed house.
 |
| Artist Rupy Tut - Mullins photograph |
This is the first time Tut has been to Canada and has found the country
refreshing. “Culture is listened to in Canada,” the young artist said in awe,
“Canada is very open to everyone's heritage.”
Tut is succeeding in the South Asian art world, a field that is
dominated by men. Tut said that she has always seen South Asian females’ take
on Sikh culture in beautiful ways but not always as professional artists. She
feels that traditional gender roles are still placed on women while men are
being able to express themselves in a more fluid way. She believes that females
should be able to take on roles that have been denied in the past and that art
needs to reflect this changing reality. Many of her paintings focus on this
ideal of modern gender changes and the impact they have on the world.
Like many immigrant children, she was well aware of her parent's
exceptions to her becoming a success and becoming an artist was not part of
Tut's career path. When she started in university studying biology her
objective was to become a doctor. She had taken art classes as a teen but the
classes were driven to encompass western forms. She said during her talk she
said that she did study the masters of Western art learning why and how they
crafted their work as they did. Still, she was not fulfilled with those early
classes as they did not embrace her spirit or heritage.
Growing up in California, artist Tut felt a huge disconnect as a young
woman from her Indian heritage. Born in Punjab she moved to LA at the age of
eleven. Connecting to her heritage with art has allowed her to bring Punjab
past into the Americanization of the world.
 |
| Artist talk at PAMA with artist Rupy Tut - Mullins photograph |
Connecting With Heritage
“It is important to know where we came from before we
can show the past.”
Tut found that after university she was losing her native language and
parts of her heritage. The internal questions of "where are you
from?" sent the young woman on a journey to trace her own history. Tut is
passionate about her religious identity and the overall impact that she sees it
has on the world.
Tut has learned how to connect with the Sikh religion through her art.
In the beginning she went to the source and began to read the scriptures. She
then turned to writing as a method of
learning and understanding. As she wrote she began to see the poetry
within the scriptures. It took time to be able to fully grasp the meaning of the
words. With calligraphy, she is able to show the beauty of poetry with the
words forming beautiful images on paper.
There are very few role models for young women to look up to if they
decide to pursue art as a career. Tut said the Singh Twins are two that she has learned from and treasures their
advice and kindness. Tut also believes as women become more independent and
financially able they need to be more present as art patrons.
Mastering Ancient Sikh Art Forms
“I like to push the boundaries. Explore how to distort
language but not the meanings.”
When Tut decided to pursue becoming a professional artist she knew she
would need to study in London to learn the techniques of miniature painting.
There was a problem, she didn't have the money to just take off and study for
at least four months that would be needed. She also had no desire to be a
starving artist. She found a way with determination unaware that the art form
would blow her away!
 |
| Artist Rupy Tut - Mullins photograph |
Her first painting was Waiting, partly inspired by her having
to wait in order to study the art form. One of the steps in miniature painting
is brandishing – a process of turning a painted canvas over and beaten to
achieve a special look. As she brandished 'Waiting' the sky she had painted
fell off. She talked it out with her teacher and repainted. Again after
brandishing the sky fell. The process continued three times. Tut was
frustrated. Finally, her teacher said that the painting was telling her
something, that the work comes to an artist spirituality. She listened to the
art and it is now one of her favourite works.
“My American side makes me want to start over until a piece is perfect.
I am a purist.”
Tut's style of calligraphy is called Gurbani. Tut is one of the very few modern artists who specialize
in this ancient art form. In fact, it is so rare that as she trained there were
no masters around that she could study under. Beginning she used basic tools
and English script before moving onto native words. She uses the same basic
tools today that she started with instead of some of the older tools that had
been used in the past. “The actual tools are less important than the finished
piece.”
She has started to explore ways to connect to those who may have lost
or never presented the cultural poetry finding that connecting characters to
her both sides of her heritage, the American and the Indian, using her own
personal translations. She pointed out that she can use the California Redwood
tree as a replacement for the mango tree, which is common in Indian art as a
bridge to gap between the two cultures.
Modern Focus On Ancient Roots
“Art has the potential to change the world.”
Struggle is a constant theme, as it is in much of Sikh artwork. Not all
struggles she said is of a violent nature. One of her paintings is based on her
grandparent's journey during the Bengal famine, a peaceful but very dangerous
period. “I can't imagine being a mother and making that journey.”
Much of Tut's work hours are spent researching her ideas and the text
she is working with. She dissects every layer of the process before beginning a
painting depending on the art medium she is doing. As she sits down to paint
she puts on podcasts or music to slow down and be settled while she works. With
her miniatures, she devotes countless hours. Her calligraphy pieces can happen
rather quickly, as the words move her. “poetry motives me so much, something
always stirs.”
Tut knows that art changes as the artist ages. She tells young artists
that she hopes that “the way you start out is not how you go on.”
Motherhood and Art
The trip to PAMA is the first time Tut has been away from her new baby
girl. While pregnant she wondered if her art would change after she become a
mother. She has discovered that so far she hasn't changed as a person but now
she wants the world to change faster in a positive way than ever before.
Her daughter is just three months old so there has been a readjustment
of her working hours. Now Tut paints each day from 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM. As she
creates she things about how being a mother will impact her art.
Motherhood isn't slowing her down. After leaving Canada Tut will be
jetting off to New York City to create a large-scale temporary calligraphic
installation on poetic love with three other artists.
RUPY C. TUT: A JOURNEY BACK HOME is on exhibit at PAMA through July 2.
See Rupy interview by Canada Art Channel's George Socka
https://youtu.be/oXQn57mAf34
Comments