insideKENT Magazine Issue 84 - March 2019 | Page 41

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE:
DOMINIC
KESHAVARZ
WORKING IN PEN AND INK TO CREATE SUMPTUOUS
DRAWINGS IS WHAT DOMINIC KESHAVARZ DOES BEST.
THIS MONTH, insideKENT’S LISAMARIE LAMB SPOKE
TO HIM ABOUT HIS INFLUENCES AND WHAT ABOUT
KENT MAKES HIM WANT TO DRAW.
If you had to define your art, how
would you describe what you do?
I make figurative pen and ink drawings
of landscape subjects. The subjects of the
pictures aren’t necessarily the most
important thing; I’m more interested in
evoking a feeling in the viewer – trying
to communicate how I felt in the
landscape through the drawing.
I use a stippling technique (lots and lots
and lots of dots) to build up areas of tonal
variation. In some ways it’s a bit like a
sculptural process as I’m carving out
areas of shadow and light in order to
create a representation of a space. What is it about ink that you enjoy so much? Why is it preferable
to other media?
One thing to add is that it’s a very slow
and meditative process. A lot of what I
do is about looking for a long time before
I draw and I hope that the viewer of the
work can be drawn in by the process and
slow down themselves. I started working in ink while studying and I find it to be a very expressive
medium. The blacks that I use have an amazing depth that seems to sing
when set against the unworked white paper.
My eye is drawn to contrasts, and monochrome work has always interested
me. There’s an exercise in economy at play as one has to produce the most
expression from the least colour range.
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