Bahaar Dhawan Rohatgi: Painting Her Path To Create Art Law In India

Bahaar Dhawan Rohatgi’s interstellar artifacts and paintings have proved that being an artist is nothing less than being a wizard. Instead of a magic wand, she carries her paints and brushes and brings out a simple thought into a colorful and mind-blowing work of art. A self-taught artist based in New Delhi, India, Bahaar is a lawyer by profession, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her passion for art. She has been splashing across international waters of fame, what with designing and executing a 16 x 8 feet bar for Spain’s top-selling wine – Artist by Pernod Ricard and heading for an International Art Exhibition in Venice, which will soon be opening to the public.

But what led her down the road to becoming a lawyer and then an artist?

Though art had always been her alter-ego, she took her family’s choice as her own career choice. However, Bahaar realized that she wanted to do a lot more than assisting in legal cases. That sense of control and her ability to display combined with the presence of mind, she took the plunge and decided to become a full-time artist in 2015. She put up her first official exhibition in May 2015, which was a huge hit, and since then, there has been no looking back for Bahaar Dhawan.

Since both of her professions are poles apart, she couldn’t resist thinking like a lawyer and be an artist at the same time, so she has now combined both of them, and has become an ambassador to promote art laws in India. In October 2016, she was selected as one of the panelists for giving a talk on Art Law in relation to India in Tokyo organized by the American Bar Association Conference.

Bahaar believes that artists in India face a lot of challenges; “There is no legislation and regulations in place. The power play is in a few hands who can easily declare a work of art to be good or irrelevant, safe, boring or interesting. That is a dangerous territory in such a subjective field. Artists have been at the bottom of the food chain being unable to market themselves well. Without any kind of institutional support, they lack confidence and are relying on other parties, which automatically leads to a wayward monopoly over what artists create, based on what sells in the market.”

Talking about her inspirations for her art Bahaar Dhawan says, “I draw my inspiration from almost anything. I keep experimenting and do not like monotony. Anyone walking into my exhibition would be happy to see an artist who paints according to her convictions. I love exploring subject matters, for instance: women are a recurring feature in my work as I am socially vigilant and a feminist.  Morphing and deconstruction of form is an essential part of my works, which can be seen in the abstracts, owls, horses, etc. that I create.”

“My work is heavily influenced by the Cosmos and galaxies, especially the abstracts and the result of which can be seen in the works. I also paint a lot from the visions in my dreams. Since I travel a lot and meet people from all walks of life, I seek a lot of inspiration from the conversations and visions that ignite my mind, making each of my work unique and never repetitive. I guarantee that even a solo show of mine would appear to be group show by several artists.  There will always be something to suit every body’s appetite. This ability to do something new each time has helped in both my personal and professional life. It is also important to be exposed to different cultures, travel to far off lands as different places, faces and maps give you a chance to make homes in other’s souls and also get enriched by their’s, to know what and how could one make our own lives meaningful and act accordingly. All this reflects in the art I create.” 

Bahaar hopes to continue painting all her life and also contribute to the art community by furthering Art Law practice in India. “I don’t only intend to give back to the art community by helping the artists, dealers, and galleries, but really hope that my expertise in the legal field can be used to bring about legislation or executive orders, which would help in increasing transparency, accessibility and make valuation of works non-speculative, thereby increasing investor confidence in the art market.” 

This young lady has some strong, inspiring words for all dreamers, “We all need to believe in ourselves. We have all been given unique and extraordinary gifts so that we may use them and share the wealth and joy of them with the rest of the world. If you have a calling, an urge, something you think about day and night, it is there for you to follow, to listen to it, to move toward it, and to find out the ways it may bring you more into being your total and complete self.”

More power to you Bahaar!!

Check out her wonderful work on her website: http://www.bahaarart.com