Vivek Mandalia

I was brought up in West London, England, and from a young age I adored painting and  anything that involved the creative mind. The idea of painting fills me with so much excitement, and a desire to explore and play. To this day, the aim is to be child once more. ​ My journey started at college. I painted abstract and realistic landscapes as a part of my final submission, and enjoyed painting new collections of landscapes once I finished college in my spare time. This collection grew and grew, to the point where I was seeking my first ever art exhibition. And I didn't have to wait much longer.. ​ My first art exhibition at the '13 The Gallery' in London, at just 18 years old, pretty much summed up my intention in life; I wanted to be a successful artist, and nothing was going to get in the way.  From that day, the urge to paint grew strong.  I aspired to be like one of the famous Impressionists. Everything about the day of the exhibition felt right. I was the only one who sold art on that day, and it was a huge achievement to me, and most importantly a reminder to keep going regardless of what got in my way.  ​ I went on to study Interior Architecture at Arts University Bournemouth in the South of England. There, I learnt so much about design and architecture, and I was able to apply my fine art skills where appropriate. It was a challenging and fun 3 years.  Ultimately, I lost the passion I once had for architecture and finished the course feeling frustrated and unsatisfied with my career path. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that during my free time at university, I would paint the Bournemouth seascapes. The fact is I never really stopped painting during this time. Painting had become a  form of escapism for me; an opportunity to de-stress and express. Over the course of 4 years, painting continued to be a hobby for me, further motivating me to hone in on my skills,  and and start sharing my journey. ​ My style has changed over the  years from minimalist, silhouetted landscapes to more impressionist work, where now I am more intuitive with my approach. I allow my work to evolve naturally, as painting day by day invites new patterns of creative behaviour to manifest in my works. By 2021, my oil paintings are laden with heavy applications of oil paint and loose brushstrokes. I find beauty in simplicity. The subject of flowers, fruits, birds and landscapes have been commonly dominant in my portfolio of work.