Zen Zone

Artist Satish Gupta’s studio is many things at once—a haveli, a haven and a canvas he is always working on

In his two-storied haveli ringed around a courtyard, all corners—from the banyan tree in the garden to the study, from the terrace to the parking lot—turn into places of work for artist Satish Gupta. “This studio is an extension of my own self. It has a number of open areas that help it breathe,” he says. And meditate, one might add.

Step into its world and you are gently drawn in by the whiff of old woodwork, the air resonating with Shiva chants and a stillness rarely found in Gurgaon. The name for the studio is apt—Zazen, the Zen mode of meditation. Next to the courtyard is the banyan, “the oldest tree in this area”, where Gupta often works. A huge Buddha statue sits under the canopy. “The rustling leaves and the calmness of the statue help me set the tone and pitch of my work,” he says.

The core of the studio, which is also connected to a gallery, is the study. Racks, as high as the ceiling, are stacked with numerous books; there are carved pillars from Gujarat, a conch-shell fountain near a small corner bed and a Tibetan robe hanging on one of the walls. If his study table and its dim lights are perfect for drawings, his canvases find space anywhere, from his verandah to the terrace. “The choice of work area depends on the theme, the light arrangement and the extent to which the place helps me relate to my work,” says Gupta. At present, a huge metal sculpture sprawls in his parking lot. “It was the only place where I could accommodate it,” he says.

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The studio has a small living room but Gupta uses it sparingly. “I don’t want the complexities of daily chores to take away from the tranquility of the studio,” he says. When in town, this globetrotter can’t stay away from his “second home”. “The serenity of my studio is a constant pull. It’s always on my mind whenever I am travelling.”

In some ways, the studio is a canvas that Gupta is always working on. He often brings in new furniture and artifacts from his travels. If nothing else, he keeps changing the arrangement of his rooms. “Each addition gives me a sense of its never-ending growth. I don’t think I will ever be done with the interiors of my studio. The moment it finishes, it would mean death,” he says.