Portrait of a citizen.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

His name means sun in Hindi. This afternoon, Suraj is walking in a central Delhi site, close to a high-rise-in-progress. A Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, he graciously agrees to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences.

What would be your greatest misfortune?
If my parents stop trusting me. My father, Om Prakash ji, and my mother, Meena Devi ji, are farmers in our village Usti in Bihar’s Siwan district. They have always trusted my dedication to be an artist, they have a belief in my struggles to become a sculptor and painter. They support me in every possible way, even though I live far from them in Delhi. It would be very painful if they were to lose faith in me.

What do you appreciate the most in your friends?
They are not judgmental. Because of this, I’m able to share my most personal thoughts with them.

Your main fault.
Overthinking, and not being able to sleep.

Your favourite occupation.
Creating something without being burdened by other people’s expectations.

Your idea of happiness.
Working on a piece of creation, and not being aware of time passing.

If not yourself, who would you be?
Something essential to the world, and at the same time, not important at all.

Your favourite painters.
I have been inspired by many painters. I don’t consciously think of their works while creating my work, but their influences live inside me and, I’m sure, they shape my work. However, I’m mostly inspired by the reality around us.

Your heroes in real life.
Piyush, Rajesh, and Santosh. I live with these three fellow artists in a small studio at Arjan Garh on the Delhi–Gurugram border. When I had nothing, they supported me financially and emotionally.

Your favourite names.
Just one—Suroo. Someone important to me once called me by this name.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with.
To be able to talk freely with people.

Your motto in life.
Do something for nothing.