Subharghya Das
Kolkata, India
I envision Cornell's B.F.A. program to give me both the depth to expand on the things I already know and the breadth to explore subjects within and even beyond the realm of art.
Why did you choose Cornell and AAP?
It was on an extremely cold winter day (at least by Indian standards) in 2014, just days before my brother's graduation, that young me decided Cornell was my dream school. Standing outside the then constructed Milstein Hall, 9-year-old me looked around and knew this is where I'd like to be. If you'd asked me how I'd hone in on a coherent art practice two years ago, any answer I'd have given would be invalidated. As such, any plans I might outline here are subject to change. My current range of interests varies from painting and drawing to assemblage and preliminary sculpture. I envision Cornell's BFA program to give me both the depth to expand on the things I already know and the breadth to explore subjects within and even beyond the realm of art. The art I want to practice follows two directions. The first is to explore radically new art forms, fusing different cultural influences and installations that include moving visuals, auditory, and the performing arts. The second is to spread awareness of the arts, and leverage it as a tool to make a tangible change in people's lives.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Having working parents, a cheap nanny, and a busy older brother meant I was handling my first pair of scissors at the age of 6 and my first pencil at the age of 8. I also lived an hour away from school and friends. Having little material and a lot of free time, art came to me naturally. Besides this, my biggest influence in wanting to become an artist was my intention to set myself apart from a family of computer engineers.
What are your extracurricular interests and how have you incorporated them into your college life?
I'm a firm believer that major innovation takes place at the intersection of multiple bodies on knowledge. So I have a keen interest in collaboration with other fields such as business and science. Fields I have previously collaborated with include architecture, product design, industrial engineering, robotics, advertisement, and math. Besides art, I have interest and experience in beatboxing and debate. I also have an interest in business, economics, and management.
What do you hope to accomplish during your time at AAP and after graduation?
I hope to explore new styles of art while increasing my depth of knowledge of the old. I also hope to collaborate and learn from people irrespective of their major.
