MICHELLE POONAWALLA
“AS A MOTHER IT DISTURBS ME THE WAY THE WORLD IS GOING”
How did your years as an art student in London prove to be the best foundation for your journey as an artist since?
“Growing up in London was an influence of course. It is one of the major art capitals of the world with some of the best museums and art shows and also auction houses. I studied Art History and also was a frequent visitor with my father to Sotheby’s, Christies + Bonhams. So my art exposure has been, art and artifacts of a varied spectrum. This has, of course, made my aesthetics international, which can be seen in my works.”
What to you is the origin of the butterfly motif so central to your work, in whichever medium you choose?
“The butterfly seems to have stuck to me. My first show was with the Gateway School for their Spring/Summer exhibition, where I worked with a group of technically challenged children. So I thought Rainbow Butterflies would be apt. After that everyone would say, ‘you know the painting with butterflies flying out, we like that!’ My very first solo’ which was butterfly installations, digital works plus sculpture. Swapan encouraged me to look into digital art, and it was from there that my journey began.”
