Pulao, Pie, and Podcast: A conversation between Aparna Swarup and Susan Dobson

Aparna Swarup (visual artist, painter and photographer) and Susan Dobson (lens-based artist and professor at the University of Guelph) met in Dobson’s office to discuss photography, art and culture during Aparna’s six-week stay in Guelph. 

Listen to the podcast conversation between Aparna Swarup and Prof. Dobson. 

Read the full podcast transcript.

Read on for an abridged version of their conversation. 

Aparna Swarup is a visual artist, painter and photographer, based in Delhi. Her photography exhibition, All I See is Frames, was curated and hosted at the University of Guelph in October 2023. The exhibition was like a visual diary, meticulously documenting how Aparna saw the University during her 6-week stay. The exhibition showcased 25 photographs from the multitude of photos Aparna shot during her stay. 

Aparna was in Guelph with her husband, Vikas Swarup, an author and former diplomat. Vikas Swarup was the inaugural Global Thought Leader in Residence at the University of Guelph. Aparna spent time at the School of Fine Arts and Music (SOFAM) where she met Prof. Susan Dobson, a lens-based artist and professor at U of G. Their friendship was immediate, as was Aparna’s interest in the building’s artistry. From paint drips on the creaky wooden floorboards to a collection of photo slides piled in Dobson’s office, Aparna found inspiration in the commonplace at Zavitz Hall. Those photo slides were “creative remnants” of a past installation from Dobson. While Dobson apologized for the bins of old slides that were cluttering her office, Aparna saw them also as artwork and quickly snapped photos of Dobson’s office.

“They were very mundane shots, but I feel mundane is what makes the extraordinary,” Aparna said about her photos of Dobson’s office. “People see with the naked eye; we see through the viewfinder.”

Aparna wasn’t always in art as a career. But during a diplomatic post in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she was given an opportunity to paint with other diplomatic spouses at a luncheon there. Upon seeing her painting, the Thai ambassador’s wife took an interest in Aparna’s artistry and encouraged her to “take [art] seriously,” Aparna said. So, Aparna studied in Addis Ababa, taking private painting lessons for three years, before her first solo exhibition, hosted by Alliance Française. After that, she stayed at Central Saint Martins, an arts and design college in London, England. She studied photography further in Delhi and Ottawa.

Aparna says she “flirted” with photography as she started to intersect painting and photography in her work. She really dove into photography after her exhibition “Risky Dreams”, which was sponsored by Miele, and exhibited in Johannesburg, South Africa, before travelling to Tokyo, Japan. This exhibition was especially meaningful, since it occurred soon after the death of Aparna’s father. It was then she discovered how healing art could be: “I could really cry out my tears in those paintings. I think [the exhibition] was one of my best works.”

For Aparna, photography seems more interactive than painting, though both forms are figurative. One photo in her exhibition is illustrative of this style—it’s a close-up of a student admiring their costume during a theatre rehearsal. Aparna compels our attention to the student’s black lace glove and glitzy accessories, contrasted against the diffused, warm light of the dressing room. Her photos feel genuine, not posed. That’s because photography requires co-creation between the subject and the artist, and Aparna acknowledges the importance of making her subject feel comfortable so the two can work together as collaborators. All I See is Frames is an example of this skilled collaboration—Aparna worked closely with the talent and technicians at SOFAM to bring the exhibition to life. 

Aparna is sociable, which may be partly due to her Indian background and experiences as a world traveller. She brings her inclusive and collectivist upbringing everywhere she goes, feeling at home in each new destination. “Those are the values, Indian values we’ve grown up with, and we carry those values wherever we go,” she says. Her cultural heritage also has an influence on her artistry, namely her mastery of colour. Inspiration is everywhere in India, especially during the vibrant celebrations of Holi and Diwali. She is particularly inspired by Indian folk art, including the ornate and intricate murals drawn on the floor at the entrance to a house. 

Aparna brought all these values to U of G, where she created meaningful friendships with faculty, staff, and students. And though she has since travelled back to India, All I See is Frames has left a lasting impression on the arts at Guelph, too. Aparna believes in the power of making do with the equipment one has. Instead of waiting for the biggest and best materials, Aparna hopes students will be inspired to start small and nurture the creativity already within them. “The best equipment,” she says, “is the equipment in your hands.”

Emmerson Jull is a student writer for CIRCLE. She is in the third year of her undergraduate degree in International Development Studies at the University of Guelph.

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