Volume VI, Issue 5
Author: Beloo Mehra
Sri Aurobindo writes in The Future Poetry,
“All art starts from the sensuous and sensible, or takes it as a continual point of reference or, at the lowest, uses it as a symbol and a fount of images; even when it soars into invisible worlds, it is from the earth that it soars; but equally all art worth the name must go beyond the visible, must reveal, must show us something that is hidden, and in its total effect not reproduce but create.”
Sri Aurobindo reminds us here of the role of artist’s subjective vision. He speaks of an artist’s drishti of the truth that he or she wants to reveal through the artwork. Inspired by this idea, in April 2025 we invited Mr. Chad Kilgore, a visual artist whose creative process is totally unique to him, for a conversation on the topic – Art, Creativity and Inner Quest.
Watch the recording of this conversation HERE.
The focus of the conversation was on exploring how art creation can be understood as a yogic process. This is in continuation of a theme we have been exploring in the Renaissance journal’s year-long focus on The Spirit and Forms of Indian Art.
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Chad Kilgore is a mixed-media visual artist, husband and father. He lives and works in Missouri, USA. He is a follower of Integral Yoga and has a deep appreciation and drive to learn and apply what Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have done for humanity and the Earth as a whole.
The conversation lasted for about an hour. We discussed Chad’s unique artistic process of creating collages using layers of painted and stained paper. We spent time exploring how he expresses intricate narratives through this medium. On his website, the artist has summarised his artistic process in deeply spiritual terms:
“Central to his practice is the rigorous purification process, akin to passing through fire, where impurities are shed to reveal the essence of purity, and this drives the evolution of his work.”
In a way, this statement describes how Chad Kilgore, the artist, connects his artistic practice to an inner purification practice, his practice as a sadhak. We spent some time discussing what he understands by this idea of “passing through fire” in the context of his art.
We also discussed in what sense his artistic process necessitates “a meticulous process of physical and mental refinement”. The conversation also highlighted his turning to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and how that has influenced his artistic process.
Towards the end of the session, we explored how an artist’s spiritual quest shapes his or her approach to art. We concluded our conversation with some reflections from Chad on the subjective turn in art and the need for an artist to open himself or herself to a deeper, spiritual view of life.
