2. 14
PASSIONS
Mayank Singh meets Reji Joseph, CEO of Al
Anwar Holdings, and delves into his world filled
with imagination, creation and dreams
artist
of life
Lifewithout
artislikea
bodywithout
asoul,like
aFerrari
withoutagas
pedal’
R
eji Joseph,
CEO, Al Anwar
Holdings
Company was
creative even
as a little child.
His mother was
intrigued by his
artistic genius
and encouraged
him to draw, paint and play with art. Today all
that childhood playfulness has taken shape and
moulded his passion for art. He still plays with
colours, with concepts, with techniques and his
playground is his art studio at home. He works
are displayed at his website www.reji7000.
com. He usually spends most of his time with
his family, busy with his kids - “they take up 80
per cent of my free time” he says. He spends
his time with them cycling, swimming, painting,
snorkeling or takes time off to go to the beach
with his family. The rest of his time goes into
art, cycling, scuba diving, photography and
golf. “I get time to do different things only by
discipline. As Jocko Willink said, ‘Discipline
Equals Freedom.’ Work keeps me busy and my
hobbies help me unwind from the pressures
of a corporate environment and recharge. It
provides me the cognitive clarity” adds Joseph.
How do you approach your art work? Please
take us through the process of your art work
and its rationale?
I spend a lot of time planning out my work. I
have several ideas and many are documented
in my books. Some of the ideas have been in my
mind for years; hence when I finally set to do it,
a lot of thinking and planning has already been
applied. We must allow our ideas to develop
and flourish.
I use the classical methods while also crafting
my own techniques. Art is the flow of my
energy to my artwork, so it’s very personal. At
times it is a reflection of my mood, a reflection
of my mind and I get united with the work
of art and there is this oneness, a kind of
calmness.
I am not an impulsive artist, I plan, decide and
set out. I do not have the ability to just add
colours and be guided by where the work takes
you. Some of the best artists have this ability.
Art is a form of expression. Words and actions
can be used to communicate or express a
feeling. Art is just another form of expression.
It is your inner self coming out. You are at times
surprised with what you are doing with your
art. Art is a conduit to connect your inner being
with the reality of daily life.
I have so much more to learn, so much to
experiment and so much to look forward to. It
is a wonderful adventure. Art is very important
to me – it helps me relax, gives me my boost,
gets me closer to the creator and keeps my
spirits high. Once you begin to appreciate art,
you see beauty in everything. Simple images
have a lot more meaning. You learn art by
observation. When you work on your projects
you understand the magic that is nature. You
become more aware of the world around you
and the way lights and shadows flow. I run the
risk of sounding arrogant and I do not attempt
to be modest. I paint well and I admire my own
work.
3. 16
What is your secret in art?
I never give up on a single project. Some of
my works start out very wrong. I toil and toil
until it turns out to be something I am proud
of. When I look back at some of my works, I
remember the times when they were going
nowhere. So I am happy that I did not give
up. Art is meditation. I enjoy it and have no
problems in overdoing it. Sometimes I do not
touch my brush for long periods of time and
there are times when you cannot separate me
from it.
How does a CEO manage to maintain such a
hobby?
It does not matter who you are, what really
matters is your inspiration. I am fully tuned on
when I work and I keep inducing efficiencies
into my time management. I plan, prioritise
and execute. When I am at office, I work with
high intensity and remain completely focused.
Painting de-stresses me. This helps me become
more efficient at work. Art does take some
of my time but I always find time for it. I
have been extremely tired and exhausted on
certain days but once I pick up my brush I feel
refreshed with renewed energy.
No one is too busy in this world. It’s all about
priorities. George Joseph (my father) taught me
that with discipline and setting your priorities
you can achieve a lot more. I do not waste time
watching endless TV or engage in any wasteful
activities. I plan in advance and this frees up
a lot of time. At work I know precisely what I
want to achieve each week and set my goals. I
am not a “take it as it comes” person, but set a
path to take. This way my day has a lot of hours
and every hour is packed.
Do you always know how you paintings will
come out?
I always want to surprise myself and all of
my works have done that. I always want to
surprise myself by pushing the limits and all
of my works have done that. I make so many
corrections and keep altering the tones till I
get what I want. That’s the reason my work
takes much longer. On an average it’s about six
months. But I keep too many projects running
at the same time so it’s not too bad. Sometimes
an idea might come to you when you least
expect it. I let it play itself out and allow my
thoughts to form around the contours of the
idea, till it gets into a workable dimension. I
enjoy completely the process of creation.
What sort of an artist are you?
All my original works and prints are only for
charity so far. Art help me to explore my inner
conciseness and captures my imagination. I
am not a temperamental artist. But I know that
several of the great artists are. My kids play
around me in my studio when I paint. These
are two young boys and it could get very active
and busy with balls, toys and different objects
going around like missiles or they could be
watching a movie. I am okay with distraction
and enjoy it. This way I find more time for my
art and my family.
What inspires you to keep painting? I see a
collection of several styles on your website.
What accounts for this?
Art is an adventure, a journey and an
experience. It gives you a sense of achievement
when you place some coloured pigments over
a canvas cloth and ‘create’ an image which
you connect with. I draw a lot of inspiration
from nature and its abundant originality. For
instance when I scuba dive I realise that life
underwater is so much more beautiful than it
is on land. I constantly experiment and keep
learning in the process. There is so much back
and forth. You have to deal with failures. One
must always remember, ‘Mastery lives quietly
atop a mountain of mistakes,” ― Eric Greitens
(Resilience). This is true with all artists. We all
keep learning and working out with what we
learn. It’s so much more fun this way.
I used to draw and paint well as a child. My
beautiful mother (Omana) still keeps a file of
my discarded drawings, which I did as a child.
When I look at it now I am amazed with what
I had done. She has been my real inspiration.
She often says that ‘Reji has always been a
dreamer and can be lost in his thoughts. When
he is concentrating he would not notice if
there was a storm raging around him.’
Life without art is like a body without a soul,
like having a Ferrari without the gas pedal.
Would you recommend others to do art?
Definitely. Many artists did not know their
ability until they tried. It’s a hobby for some
and an occupation for others. Those for whom
art is an occupation, art is also their hobby. Not
many careers offer this luxury. Everyone is an
artist in some form. Pablo Picasso famously
said ‘All children are artists. The problem is
how to remain an artist once he grows up.’
Your website www.reji7000.com is themed
as ‘CREATION’? What does this signify?
All great paintings are the same – just some
pigments over cloth or paper and then the
value to you is completely different just by the
way the colours are placed. I have the ability
to alter what I see around me and reflect what
I see in my mind. This is the strength I have
and I use it. I believe that an artist’s ultimate
satisfaction is the ability to create. To create an
expression, create a mood, create healing and
to create joy. In life we must only be restricted
by limits of our imagination.
The process of creation gets you close to the
creator who is the ultimate artist.
Who is your art teacher?
Nature is my teacher. I have not been to a
formal art institute to learn art but I can hardly
claim to be self-taught. I was trained by so
many people. From the tutors in school, to
many of my artist friends have also helped me.
I have also been trained by the great masters;
Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne, Modigliani, Jamal
Abdul Raheem, Leonardo da Vinci, Yousuf
al Nahwi, Picasso, Hussain, Yuri Yamashita
- for I have observed their techniques and
styles which have inspired me and I have been
drawn to the manner in which they brought
out their creative genius.
PASSIONS
