Art and life of a celebrity artist couple

• Jitish Kallat’s usage of the self image as the main protagonist adds an autobiographical touch to his paintings that address personal issues and a host of other artistic concerns. He mentions, “My art (practice) is more like a researcher's project who often uses quotes rather than an essay, with each painting necessitating a bibliography."

• On the other hand, His wife Reena works in a variety of media and forms - painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, installation, public art, and video. She often incorporates multiple mediums in a single piece of art. Her versatile practice, which reflects the popular and iconic influences with conscious attention to historical as well as contemporary narratives, incorporates personal and political references. It brings to the fore her concerns related to politics, femininity, and subtle evolutions in the human condition. She raises pertinent questions regarding the distorted terms of contemporary life.

• Regarding their, art and life Jitish Kallat has been quoted as saying, “There is a lot of convergence of interests certainly, in terms of how I and Reena pursue our art. But we work in methodologies diametrically opposite to each other.” While he would constantly use drawing so as to flesh out his thoughts, the latter needs to close in, shut things out until she has articulated her own idea.

• According to Reena Kallat, they were very much comfortable with the idea of a humble living at the time of their marriage. It was a privilege being an artist, not those in the usual sense, according to her, but to engage with the world around us in a different way. It has been an enriching experience to live and work with someone with a common interest, she had divulged.

• "You grow with the atmosphere, and almost never stop thinking of art. Sometimes there’s an overlap because of shared ideas. His (Jitish’s) criticism is very constructive; he is a tremendous source of support. I may opt to disagree with his opinion; it’s challenging, as it helps me define things for myself."