A Reclusive Artist

J. Nath arrived as a reclusive artist one fine summer day of 1983. He had spent a major part of his life in the hustle and bustle of Bombay. He left behind a life, which he had worked to the fullest, as a graphic designer, to the solitute and charms of the picturesque Palani Hills of Tamilnadu in South India.

Born in Delhi, J. Nath left home early in life for Bombay to study art. He career started as a technical draftsman in civil and mechanical engineering and culminated as the Head of the Design Department of one of Inida's major publishing houses, whose fortune he steered for 22 long hears.

The search for adventure has taken J. Nath to places from Gulf to Canada and now to the mountains. He has been influenced by places, cultures and people. One of the main influences in his early works was that of the Jhaveri Sisters, a group devoted to the Manipuri style of dancing. In his own words, "The women wore colourful hoopy skirts and veils, and their slow, circular movements were very graceful. The men had a thunderously vigorous style. I would come out with drawings which caught the movement effectively. This must have affected my way of looking at things -- the key to all that I consider worth painting -- a silent rhythm.

Music too has been a key which unlocks his creativity. Invariably music would be playing in the background while he is giving shape to his vision.

Speed is not J. Nath's style. When asked why he chose the difficult and time consuming "pointillism" technique to express himself, he laughs. "My inward yearning is for peace and quiet. Speed is not my style. Depositing layers and layers of dots of acrylic colours is my kind of meditation. I enjoy the thrill of seeing the image develop gradually.

With every layer of dots in a new tint, the visual experience literally makes me sing with joy. Unlike brush painting, the definition is not so smooth. Often, I use a glase of diluted paint and rework the dots, and this allows for greater visual depth. The process is indeed slow, but the results are phenomenal. For me, God never does things in a hurry."

Today, J. Nath's collection spans the globe. In homes from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Holland, Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.