Advait Kolarkar lives with his visual artist mum Shruti, software engineer father Amit and writing enthusiast older sister Swara in Pune, western India. At just seven years old, the budding artist already has awards such as Global Child Prodigy 2020 under his belt and his vibrant paintings have been showcased across India and around the world.
“Advait is one of the youngest and most promising artists worldwide, featured on the BBC and various other global news stations as a remarkable and wonderful young talent from India,” said Peter Gagliardi, curator of the Gagliardi Gallery in London, who will be hosting the young artist’s first solo exhibition in the city (May 12-22).
As the schoolboy prepares for his London show, iGlobal caught up with his proud mother to find out more about his creative instincts and the very apparent love of shapes and colours.
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Does a passion for art run in the Kolarkar family?
Advait is rooted in India with his parents, software engineer Amit Kolarkar and commercial artist Shruti Kolarkar, and his elder sister Swara in the suburbs of Pune. They keep travelling outside the country frequently. With much encouragement flowing from all corners. The walls of our house bear Advait’s creative flair that comes out in promising shapes.
Being a visual designer, I saw a spark in Advait and noticed he has something special, when Advait was just a baby. Some of the family’s ancestors were also artists. Advait’s sister Swara has a creative flair too. She loves creating her own caricatures, comic strips and stories which some time they both enjoy doing together. She is also creatively involved in writing as she co-authored a book and she is writing a solo book which she will be publishing soon.
Creativity is a breakthrough for Advait and his family from routine life. They believe in being open to new ideas, imagination and seeing beauty in their surroundings. Hence, fascination for art comes very naturally to Advait.
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What made you realise that he had a special gift?
Advait was eight months old when he started spending hours with his sister while she drew. In one instance, he created an amazing composition with food colours on the floor. It was sheer magic and unbelievable for us.
So, we decided to give him canvas and acrylic colours almost immediately. His first painting replicated the spectacle. Since then, painting has become an immense part of his life. Even when he started talking, he majorly talked about forms.
He once pointed at a painting and said: “Mom I see a galaxy”. He started talking about sun, oceans, islands, waterfalls and the list expanded by the day.
How does Advait balance schoolwork with his talent?
Advait loves reading and learning about new things. He has already read all his schoolbooks just like his other story books even before the school started. School is fun for him.
Painting and learning new things are two of his favourite things. He goes quite easy on studies and does his schoolwork quickly, so he has more time to play. He has been managing quite well and coming up with flying colours.
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What does the London show in May mean to him; how is he preparing for it?
Advait will be having his solo show in London for the first time. He is very thrilled and can’t wait to be in London to present his artistry and meet new people. He is already dreaming and imagining how things will take place.
He has created wide range of paintings for the show and in a process of creating some more. His art tells plethora stories that spring from his imagination. The canvas is brushed with vivid motifs of space, oceans, dinosaurs and so on, which he etched via a range of tools — from brushes, rollers, spatulas to fingers and hands. He loves to experiment with a variety of materials.
These artworks tell a story filled with intuition and raw power. We see a glimpse of his imagination – a beautiful world where colours lead to a path of discovery.
Gagliardi Gallery is one of the most established and long-standing art galleries in London. Advait is honoured to be exhibiting his work in the gallery. Photography of the exhibition will be done by
Lonnie Schlein, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winner and worked as a photo editor for ‘The New York Times’ for over 35 years.
*Info: Gagliardi Gallery; Advait Kolarkar