insideKENT Magazine Issue 62 - May 2017 | Page 34

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE :

Briony Kapoor

INTERVIEW BY LISAMARIE LAMB
BRIONY KAPOOR IS AN ARTIST WITH A VISION – A VISION FOR HER OWN WORK , AND ALSO FOR THE ROMNEY MARSHES WHERE SHE LIVES AND WORKS .
PHOTOS © WWW . LEEJOROBINSON . COM
How would you describe your art ?
I think that I am more of an impresario than an artist . I conceive projects , instigate and carry out design ideas but the real artistic skill comes from the painters and sculptors who are commissioned .
What made you want to be an artist ?
Almost immediately after university I shared ownership of a gallery in Central London . The gallery had an eclectic vision and I was introduced to many approaches to the arts . Prior to that my mother had helped to develop my interest in the arts . She had a natural talent and was one of the founders of the Romney Marsh Art Society .
What is it about Kent in particular that inspires you ?
Kent is a beautiful country with a wonderful history but for me there are two or three things that count particularly . Romney Marsh is home and the landscape here is an acquired taste that is deeply affecting over time . The land has a beauty that is not obvious but reveals itself slowly . The air is like champagne and the peace allows a sense of eternity to mature .
Our relationship with Europe is also significant and I campaigned for the United Kingdom to stay inside the EU – alas unsuccessfully . Our area of Britain has a long association with the Continent . Who would want to be elsewhere ? We have access to a lot of the best art in the world and I include all forms of cultural expression in this use of the word .
You ’ re the founder of the IMOS Foundation – can you tell us about it ?
The IMOS Foundation was a developing idea from about 2005 . I found myself alone in life and with a wish to contribute as well as a desire to return to my life in the arts after several years of practical concerns and family responsibilities . All along its length the South Coast was becoming an arts destination with prestige projects . Romney Marsh seemed to be left behind . The advantage of this was that there was a fairly blank canvas with which to work .
We are now a registered charity with four trustees and have employed a large number of artists over the years . On public display are about 150 original works of art , mainly mural paintings and some sculptures . We have developed a design for a Romney Marsh flag and travelled the UK with a major exhibition of portraits from each of the countries of the EU .
The charity has been variously funded , notably by the Roger De Hann Charitable Trust and by the Arts Council , Europe House in London and several universities , Magnox , the Kent Wildlife Trust and others .
What are the Foundation ’ s aims ?
I felt that the desire and the giving was everything and that money was secondary . I
34