Inside Louiz Banks' Santacruz studio, where music meets canvas

(Clockwise from left) Louiz Banks works on a painting; with his works at the studio. Pics/Satej Shinde

It all starts with Meena Kumari, says Louiz Banks as he sips on a hot cup of coffee at his cosy home studio in Santacruz. The composer was ready well before this writer arrived at the pre-appointed time. Unbeknownst to many, including yours truly, the octogenarian has been nurturing a hidden passion for fine art. On February 4, The Stainless Gallery in New Delhi held a rare showcase of Banks' canvas for a one-day only exhibition. It is this passion that he is describing as we meet.

"I always had an affinity for art. I must have been nine or 10-years-old when I first started sketching," Banks tells us. His earliest memory still remains that of himself trying to sketch a portrait of Meena Kumari. "I was taken by the sight of her image. I cannot recall which poster it was, but like any child who is sometimes fascinated by a picture, it caught my attention," he explains.

His prodigal talent on the keys, and the musical legacy of his family, meant that he chose a different medium for success in the arts. "I did think about going to art school for a while when I was young, but it never really happened. Still, any time there was an art competition or something to sketch in school, it would come to me," he laughs. Though he never paid it a lot of attention, it proved to be a quiet respite for his artistic temperament.

The absence of artistic training also proved to be an advantage. "I suppose it helped in establishing my individuality. When you don't learn from anybody, you are free to experiment and try different things," the veteran explains. And so, he learned like many hobbyists do - working when he found time between concerts, talking to friends and even through his own work. Early mornings are when he often takes up the brush. "I like the quiet," he remarks, even as a jumbo jet rips through the Santacruz skies above our heads.

One cannot help but be amused by the oddity of speaking to a Grammy Award-nominated musician about the canvas. But the process is no different, the veteran remarks. "It is like when you are playing on the piano. A particular phrase would strike me, and I take it up and develop that into a composition. Sometimes, sound inspires me to turn to the canvas, and vice versa. It depends on the mood, your emotions at the moment." Almost sounding poetic, he adds that like music, a painting is never really finished.

Quite appropriately then, the jazz legend has a fondness for abstract art. "Naturally," he says, "Both require improvisation. But while I like the abstract, it needs to have a vision and an artistic quality. I don't understand Picasso. I have followed his life and work closely, and read about him. He started out as a classicist, you know, but turned to Cubism, and became a legend. Unfortunately, his Cubist works don't do anything for me." The artist who moves him though is Vincent Van Gogh. The composer is effusive in praise when describing Van Gogh's landscapes. "It is the emotion in his work. He was the lone artist of his calibre," Banks points out.

One look at the canvas around us and we can see works that emerge from emotional moments. On one side is a portrait of Mother Teresa's serene visage looking out into the horizon - I still have her note, he says with pride. Another is a moving canvas of the 2006 terrorist attack on Mumbai, with the façade of the Taj Mahal Hotel peering through a fiery storm. As we observe, he draws our attention to another series on underwater life. "The light underwater fascinates me. It is so different from the surface," he points out.

With such astute observation, and a vast range of work, it is a wonder he did not hold more exhibitions. The composer simply shrugs. "Painting for me is a break from music. I like that I can spend hours with it in the quiet. I don't paint for the money," he shares. As he finishes his coffee, Banks leaves us with a thought, "Thank goodness there is music, and art. What else is there in the world to leave behind? Eat, sleep and work? You need more as a human being. You cannot be happy with just that." Van Gogh would agree.