Interview by Swasti Sharma
Deepshikha De is a 12 years old girl studying in class 8 in DPS Noida. She has won the first prize in NASA painting competition for the third time. Beside this, she has won 215 awards out of which 38 awards are international and 60 awards are from different organizations like UNESCO, ESA, UN and many more. NASA has selected again her painting for its yearly calendar.
Before starting I want to ask whether you have any other hobby than painting?
No, I don’t have any other hobby. Earlier, I used to learn karate but after getting beaten up, no, only painting is preferred by me.
Could you please tell us what initially got you interested in these art works?
When I was a little girl, I used to watch people that they were making many beautiful art pieces and I also wanted to make some beautiful art works. So, I started to draw anything I wanted whatever just comes in my mind. My parents also when saw my interest in art, encouraged me and supported me. And then I started to draw really well and now I am here.
At which age did you start and before getting the knowledge of different techniques what did you like to draw?
I started at the age of 6. It’s been 6 years of painting. I loved to draw with crayons and oil pastels. And later on, I started to draw with poster colours, water colours and acrylic paint. So, right now I draw with water colour and acrylic colour the most. When I started to draw with water colour, it was very hard technique. It’s like a one-time chance painting. You cannot cut it once its mistaken. When you are doing like oil pastels, crayons or any other dry colour stuff, you can mend it. But in wet colour stuff, you have to start again. You just have to make it perfect in one go.
Did you start to draw with oil pastels at the age of 6 only?
Firstly, I started with crayons and then later on my parents bought more good colours. They bought oil pastels for me and I started to draw with oil pastels. And after that, now I have transferred to water colours and poster colours.
Many other artists like you have their own inspirational people. So, is there anyone who inspires you the most?
I have one. It’s Leonardo da Vinci. I really like his painting techniques. I mean look at his Mona Lisa painting. It’s so famous and the smile of Mona Lisa is so unique. I too want to recreate his painting and I will one day when I am capable of doing it.
Which body part or something you love to draw the most like you said the smile of Mona Lisa?
I like to draw portraits the most like of Mona Lisa, I just want to recreate it.
It means that if you will get a chance to excel in the field of art, you will opt for that one only, right, in future?
I will prefer portrait but entire body structure is difficult to make. However, still I will try to make the body structure first. If I am capable of doing it, I will choose for the entire body structure only.
See there are many people around us. Many of them just hate the art works and everything related to it. So, how do you deal with the people who just consider it as a time waste?
Well, I don’t believe that anyone can even hate this beautiful technique. Art is the way to express our feelings. But, Yaa we can’t change their opinion. I will just say that it’s my opinion this is my thing.
Do you have any extra classes for the painting?
Before covid, I used to have classes. But due pandemic this covid, I can’t go there for the classes anymore. So, I just practise that in my home.
Is anybody in your home interested in this field? Or you just practise and learn independently?
Yaa my parents are interested in art and good in art also. They teach me the art. They are the ones who encouraged me, they are the ones who supported me and they are the ones why I am here.
For the perfection in art works, its very necessary to practise, practise and practise. So, how do you manage studies and art side by side?
Whenever I study and I feel tired. Art the way of my relaxation. So, whenever I feel tired by studying, I just open my drawing book and start drawing. It just means that I love art. So, I can manage both quite well.
Please tell about your failures in competitions and something like that? How do you overcome them?
I have faced many failures. I just don’t think about them too much. I just believe it’s a mistake, you need to correct it. That needs to be done again correctly. It’s a part of journey. I have to learn from my mistake. According to me, mistakes are for learning only. However, I am scared of failures. Failures will teach you, the mistakes you have made. Later on, when you will do the same, you won’t repeat that mistake. You will just learn from the mistake.
Have you participated in NASA painting competition earlier also or you just gave it a shot and you succeeded?
It’s my luck that, I got the success in NASA competition in one go only. I just can’t believe it today also. It’s just my luck.
Could you please give a brief description of the paintings you have drawn in the competition?
Yaa sure. I have first drawn a painting. It was a girl and her mother was going into the space. She was an astronaut. My topic was that what an astronaut will take with himself or herself in the space. So, I showed that the mother astronaut will take the photo of her daughter, her memories and I have also written MISS YOU. So, my topic was ‘miss you my dear’. And next year, I drew the continuation of that painting.
It was like the mother was coming back from the space and the girl (her daughter) was welcoming her with the flower. Mother was coming through the parachute.
Third year, I drew a girl roaming around the space. She had a book with herself and the book was like a spaceship. She was roaming around the space and looking into the planets more keenly. I would say researching about the planets and exploring the space. And that’s all.
You can also watch this video online here: https://youtu.be/nRuP_0a_nyo
