VIKRAM DIVECHA INTERVIEW
Vikram Divecha is an artist and advertising professional based in Dubai, UAE since 2005. As an artist he is working towards a practice that investigates urbanity and explores industrial production methods.
He takes interest in working with materials with an inherent story, to manufacture a visual language that holds a strange familiarity. He active interest in illustration and photography has led his work to surface on LP covers, blogs, posters and office walls. Vikram now works as a freelance creative consultant and pursues his artistic interests.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
There is an impressionist painting by Claude Monet, I saw as a kid in an encyclopedia titled- St. Lazare Station:The Arrival of the Trainfrom Normandy. It was just a post-it sized image, but it as made me wonder for years. A few years later when I was trying to study science I would secretly paint at home, making a replica of this painting.
I am also inspired by the work of Laxman Shrestha, an abstract expressionist painter from India.
Recently a photography project by David Maisel title ‘Library of Dust’ moved me tremendously.
On the other hand the tendencies of Charles Bukowski, geometry,
The Rolling Stones and bold colors inspire me, as well.
Most interesting response to your work so far?
A gallerist is keen to know what I’ll put up for my next show.
Tell us a bit about Urban Epidermis your exhibition on display till Sept 1st?
Urban Epidermis is a series of wall sculptures. The work is a comment about the curious alliance man has with this city. Of how they build and exhaust each other. One can view them as excerpts from an urban page, as well as pieces of anticipated evidence.
I’ve spent over 7 months to bring these to life. The research included working with road construction engineers, road marking experts and industrial & construction chemical specialists. After 5 months I developed a unique process to create to create a thinner and lighter road surface. They still weigh at around 110 kilos.
Upcoming projects you are working on?
I’m currently developing CONCBOTS, a set of Urban figurines.
Inspired by Dubai, Concbots is somewhere between an art project and a construction project. It points and pokes at the relationship the urban-kind share with their metropolis. One could judge this work as satirical sculpture. Concbots will soon be available as collectable figurines. I had presented the concept a Pecha Kucha, Dubai recently and it was well received over there.
Favorite websites, blogs, publications?
I don’t follow things religiously, but here’s what comes to mind.
Notcot.org, Satellitevoices.com, davidmaisel.com, alecsoth.com, theculturist.com, shahirzag.com,
I love motherland magazine, domus, wallpaper and time out issues.
Places you feel most creative in Dubai?
I spend a lot of time in Industrial areas to research and inquire about new materials and methods. These places really excite the maker in me. My studio, which is also my apartment, is where I like to pace around, make models and designs and streamline my ideas. Of course, conversations with friends over chai are essential to further filter my thoughts.
