The Introspective Artist: Puja Sarkar

Art did not start off as an expressive tool for me. I started painting clay pots with my eldest sister to spend more time with her. Little did I realise that years later I would become obsessed with drawing and find my own artistic flair and love for everything monochrome.

My relationship with this artistry has been shaky. It was not until college that I started drawing seriously with an intention of honing my skills. It was difficult. In a world where those more experienced than you think they know better, it becomes confusing trying to find your own way. It was perplexing how some of the artists I was exposed to held their drawing style on a pedestal. After all, art is not about standards, it is about expression. Fair to say, I was lost in my creative journey until I found my way back to comic-books.

I began to see the world in black and white with a touch of Roy Lichtenstein. Jim Lee’s welcoming approach in his streams, his simplicity in what he does was inspirational, it still is. Jason Fabok, Ed Benes, Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell helped me rediscover my love for superheroes. The woman in the comic world, even if fictional, feel more real to me. Drawing them makes me feel closer to their stories and strength. Over the years, I have drawn Wonder Woman multiple times. This Amazonian-Olympian Goddess has saved me from the pits of depression and self-doubt more times than I can count. My way of keeping her alive and blazing is through my work.