Thecanvas brings out his innermost thoughts in myriad colours. But before the physical act of creating, the artwork takes shape in his mind during his early morning meditations. Thats not entirely unexpected though as the artist is a spiritualist who ventured into knowing the unknown while still in his teens. At 56, both his art and spiritualism have matured.

Meet Neeraj Goswami, artist and resident of IP Extension in East Delhi. His solo show, Meditative Moorings, by Sanchit Art is currently on at DLF South Court Mall, Saket (till December 31). For me, painting and meditation are the same thing. I depict the bliss I achieve while meditating on canvas so that viewers can experience these positive vibrations as well. Goswami lost his father when he was in class 10, after which the family faced a lot of hardship and strife.

Since he was good at art, he started contributing to the family income by taking up commercial art works, like designing book covers, charts, etc. The loss of my dad was a jolt to my inner core. I used to be very disturbed, had anxiety issues, was always stressed and tensed. Then, on the advice of a relative, I joined Shri Poornanand Ajapa Yog Sansthan, and began attending their meditation classes.

It completely changed my life. After finshing school from Summer Fields School (Kailash Colony), Goswami joined the College of Art (Delhi University) and studied till PG level, before joining as guest faculty. He taught for 10 years and then quit to pursue art full-time. Goswamis palette consists of rich blues and gold. He works with oil, tempera, pastels, charcoal but it is oil that he loves dabbling with the most. Since oil dries very slowly, it gives you the option of making changes.

Oil paints have a particular kind of luminosity which lends a beautiful look to the work. He also makes sculptures and murals, but I love painting the most as it transports me to another level. The artist held his first solo in early 1980 while still in school, and has since held a number of shows across India and in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, UK, among others.

He also holds workshops and camps on meditation. I want to share this knowledge so that others can experience the same bliss as I did, he says, adding that meditation is a scientific way of living, not some bunkum. During the lockdown, we did a number of online mediation works in which people from various countries participated. Meditation helps you connect to the inner atman, and all creativity and knowledge comes from there. I feel meditation is very important, especially in times of strife, he adds.

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An artist and a spiritualist - The New Indian Express