Artist Aditya Phadke talks about painting vintage cars and how he wants to bring back the nostalgia.
Since he was a child, Aditya Phadke has been fascinated by automobiles. As a kid, he would pester his parents to take him to the garage to sketch his favourite tow truck or run to the neighbour’s balcony to see the line-up of the cargo vehicles standing below his building. This love for automobiles grew through school days till he enrolled into an art school. He was a topper there and showed his skill in illustrations, portraits and conceptual art too.
Today, Phadke has mastered classical portraiture. He delves deep into anything that his mind decides to explore, be it people, commissioned portraits, fantasy landscapes or detailed figure drawings. He manages to create moods which not many would want to venture into. After showcasing his work at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, where he had showcased his series of paintings and drawings, Phadke is bringing his exhibition On the Go to Pune at the Renaissance Art Studio.
Talking about his influences, Phadke says, “I was born in a family of artists, so art came very naturally to me. I am the fifth generation artist and there were no second thoughts about opting it as a career option. I work as a graphic designer and a freelance illustrator now. The theme for the current exhibition is On the Go because it’s all about old garages and vintage cars. I have always loved cars but I never thought I would be creating something like this.”
It all actually started during his college project where they were asked to showcase outdoor sketching. Phadke chose the theme of garage and cars. But after the project, he absolutely forgot about it. It was only during his first exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery that he revived his sketches and now Pune can witness the extension of that. His paintings explore all the rustic beauties and pay tribute to the fast-disappearing garage spaces that many of us would associate with the times of our forefathers. Phadke states, “People treat old cars as junk but I am really fascinated about the things that people don’t actually pay attention to.
How these cars are being looked after and the way mechanics function. Basically, I want to change the way people look at these vintage beauties and revive these subjects. People see my paintings and tell me that they have seen these in their old family photos. I want the viewers to refresh their memories since there is an element of nostalgia attached to it.”
Phadke’s paintings are not merely renditions of classic vintage cars; they also show how the vehicles exist in the current day scenarios. All the chaos that you see in those dusty, cramped spaces is a link to some of the stories still waiting to unfold.
The result is a terrific blend of the old and the beautiful. Phadke feels that things have been smooth so far in terms of visiting these garages and clicking pictures and painting. He says, “People might think I am a crazy person who wants to randomly take pictures or wants to sit and paint these vintage cars, but for me, it’s important.”
ST READER SERVICE
On The Go — an exclusive exhibition of paintings and drawings by Aditya Phadke and mini models of motorcycles by Kedar Pawar can be visited till August 26, from
11 am-6.30 pm
