CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTIST:  VINETA CHUGH

Name:  Vineta Chugh
Where are you from?  Dubai, UAE

What brought you to Detroit?  The opportunity to pursue a MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art

How long have you been here?  Since September 2015

How long have you been working as an artist:  Formally since 2011.

What is currently your favorite:

Website: http://www.dazeddigital.com/tag/body-image

Work of Art:  Works by Nacho Carbonell

Piece of advice:  Play the card you’ve been dealt, stated by artist and musician Leigh de Vries

Place you have travelled?  Italy

When did you first know you wanted to be an artist?  
I always wanted to be associated in the creative fields, but when I dropped the idea of joining Engineering school after being admitted, it got real!

Was there an artist you admired that inspired you to be an artist yourself? 
Dieter Rams Braun, has always been an inspiration, for me, because of the simplicity and exquisite products.

Both of your work involves identity – can you elaborate on why that is an important theme to you and how the work in this exhibition addresses it?  
I try to make work which is based on body and body image and I find it extremely crucial to create points of entry within work which celebrates the body, especially in a hyper conscious world.   I think the exhibition does a great job to tie in work about identity politics.

What materials do you tend to work with and how do they contribute to the context of your work? 
I tend to pick material based on what I want each piece to do/address. So you would see a mix in my work.

Where are you finding inspiration lately?
I think looking at different genres of works has been an inspiration to think creatively.

Is there a single habit that you strongly believe contributes to your success as an artist?
My brain has a habit of wanting precise detailed drawings of work I’m imagining and personally I share a love-hate relationship with it, but believe it helps me be more focused with what I’m trying to achieve.

How do you feel about the art community in Detroit?  How does it differ from other places you have lived and exhibited?  
I think it’s a very supportive community and also a great place to showcase art and talk about it. I would say, if I compare it with Milan, Detroit is more casual and intimate. 

What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming exhibition?  
To share the space with Scott and see our artworks create a dialogue within a space.

What one item would you grab if your house were on fire?  My passport

Have you learned anything from collaborating with this Scott Campbell that resonated with you?  
The issues that Scott is addressing through his work, I think, is powerful and unique, and is something I’ve been thinking about, along with his aesthetic choices.