Aurafidelite Arindam is a local artist who specializes in botanical-themed work, but her knowledge of art goes far beyond botany. Arindam apprenticed with her late husband Auro, who attended multiple international arts institutions, and even studied under famous Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali. She has a large appreciation for impressionism, which was made popular by artists such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. She is also, however, an admirer of post-impressionists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.
“My husband was a professional artist living in the United States,” says Arindam. “He passed away eight years ago; after that I was very much doing artwork as a meditative process. It was helping me heal and encouraged me to continue. I was always kind of in admiration of artists and artwork. I started doing it out of pleasure, and because I live in Victoria I was inspired by gardens. But my husband did seascapes in watercolours, and I always wanted to do that. That took me on this big journey, and it’s been just wonderful.”
When Arindam first entered the world of art, she was mainly interested in botanical drawing, a style that she has moved on from in recent years. She says that her interest in botanical art started with drawing individual flowers.
“I had started a garden, and I began observing them and I was kind of fascinated, so I started using coloured pencils to draw these botanical pieces,” she says. “That was how I started, and I was known for that for quite some time. I don’t do those anymore, though; I’ve kind of moved on to much larger acrylic painting, and that’s my medium now.”
Arindam is currently featured in a solo art show at the Fernwood Inn, with over 20 pieces hanging in the building (the show runs until Friday, December 31; see fernwoodinn.com for info). Arindam also has art available for viewing or purchase at the Abkhazi Gardens Tea Room, Brentwood Bay Lodge, and the Royal Jubilee Hospital. She is also participating in the Fairfield Artists Studio Tour this year. Despite having so much going on, she says that, for her, art is about taking a breather during life, enjoying nature, and providing a sense of peace.
“Often you will find light in my paintings,” she says. “Even if there is a storm there will always be light, and it represents, really, the need to remain positive, to look forward to the future, and to always have hope. That’s what I’ve learned in life; when I lost my partner of 25 years, you still have to keep going, and there’s still hope. I’m in a new relationship now, and I am very content. So I have found happiness again, and that’s also what my art represents.”
Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to the Fairfield Artists Studio Tour as the Fernwood Artists Studio Tour. We apologize for the mistake.