Community Spotlight: Sayanti Dutta, Telling Stories Through Art

Meet Sayanti Dutta, a surrealist artist based at Wimbledon Art Studios, right here in Garratt Business Park. With a deep love for storytelling, Sayanti's work transforms everyday objects and memories into thought-provoking, dreamlike scenes that resonate with people around the world.

Her creative journey began in early childhood, paused for a successful career in tech, and came full circle when she bravely returned to her first love: painting. Now a full-time artist, Sayanti finds both inspiration and support within the vibrant community of Garratt Business Park.

As she prepares for the Wimbledon Art Fair this November, we caught up with her to learn more about her practice, her inspirations, and what it means to be part of a creative ecosystem that supports and uplifts independent artists.

Read the full interview below to find out how a teacup on a postage stamp can tell a life story and why she describes the business park community as her “oxygen.”

Can you tell us a bit about your art practice and what you focus on in your work? 

My art is mostly surrealistic in nature. But key elements and thoughts behind that art are always inspired by the feelings I have and my memories or things I see around me. Sometimes a simple mundane object that I see, suddenly starts telling me a story and that story forms a picture in my mind. Essentially that is what I draw. So, for me the most important thing is the story. If I cannot see the story behind a painting, I cannot paint it. Story is my primary focus in any painting.  

How did your journey as an artist begin, and what inspired you to pursue painting? 

I started my journey as an artist very early. At the age of 3 before I even I started school, I started painting. Eventually that became my passion. I passionately continued it till I finish my school. But unfortunately, my parents wanted something else for me. So, on their insistence I studied engineering and became a computer engineer. The life moved on. I worked 12 years in various technology companies. After turning 35, one fine day I realised, that the life I am leaving is my parent’s dream and not mine. So, before I get too old to pursue my own dream, in the 2018 I quit my job and took up painting, as a full-time career.  

What do you feel sets your work apart from other artists in your field or style? 

I am a city girl. Through out my life, I have lived in cities. My painting talks about the stories of an urban life. My art talks about the life and lifestyle and nuances of 20^th century. And of course, my paintings are very me. To say it simply, if you see a beach in my painting, that may be with a deck chair, umbrella and glass of beer rather than a broken boat. Jokes apart, but again as I have mentioned, my paintings are very me. Hence, I paint cheeseburger on postage stamp.  

Who are the people who typically connect with your work, and do you offer commissions or other services? 

My paintings connect with all sorts of people. Every person has got a lot of stories in their life. So, if any of my painting connects with some story of someone’s life, they buy it. One lady from America purchased my painting of a fine teacup on a postage stamp, because that reminded her of the English crème tea she had during her visit to London. I painted it from my first memory of the crème tea and somewhere the story connected us. She saw the painting on Instagram. A young couple got one painting of snow fall and Hyde Park. That was my first memory of snow. For them, they had some romantic memories walking in the snow. So practically anyone who connects to the story, they connect with my work. I of course offer commissions. 

Other services are I do teach art to beginners. Mostly aspiring hobby artists and young adults. This came from a very personal experience again. When I restarted my journey in art, I found it extremely difficult to find a compassionate teacher to brush up my skill. I was not looking for the conventional structure and methods of art teaching. I had my own strengths and own challenges. But I could not find a teacher flexible enough. Being an art teacher, I am trying to fill that gap.  

Is there a particular painting or project you’re especially proud of? What made it memorable? 

One of my most recent piece called Reaching Out. I am extremely proud of that. Not only because it received rave review from the critics, but also it is like a beacon of hope to me. The message given in the painting is that good time is just around the corner and I must hang in there. It helps me also be patient and hopeful during the dark and bleak time. Also, it is one of the pieces currently being displayed at the Hyde Park Corner Tube station as part of the “Art Below” project. 

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you navigated them? 

Challenges in an artist’s life is endless, and we sail through them just be sheer passion and will power. Fighting the artist block or lacking the motivation are two recurring challenges. I am extremely lucky to have my community of artists in Wimbledon Arts Studio who always help me to cheer up and motivate me enough to never stop. They are my friends, colleagues, agony aunts and my cheerleaders.  

What do you enjoy most about being based at Garratt Business Park as a creative? 

I absolutely love being here as a creative. So many studios around. So many artists. So much creativity. You cannot remain here and not being creative. Also, as an artist I get so much additional support here. Be it framing, printing, packaging, everything available inside Garratt Business Park and I don’t have to step out for anything apart from my exhibitions.   

Has the business park community influenced or supported your artistic journey in any way? 

As I have mentioned earlier, the beautiful community here is my oxygen. We are all each other’s life support system. We celebrate our success together and we crib about our failures together.  

Are there any exciting exhibitions, collaborations, or new projects coming up? 

My favourite work is currently being displayed at Ad Lib GLLERY IN Wimbledon Village and of course, I will be part of the upcoming Wimbledon Art Fair in November. A few more things are in pipeline and more details of those will be available on my social media and on my website.  

Where can people view your work or get in touch with you? 

You can see my works on my website. That is https://sayantidutta.com or on my insta handle at https://instagram.com/art_by_sayanti/ . For any enquiry, feel free to drop me an email at Sayanti.dutta@gmail.com