Can you tell something about your Childhood, parents and family?
My family was very supportive emotionally which actually surprised me quite a bit as being a painter is obviously particularly unknown territory, full of insecurities etc. My dad painted when he was younger and is now a restaurateur with a great eye for restaurant design and my mother is a great analyzer of people and emotions. Her perceptive and analytical abilities would rival most psychics! I definitely gained a lot from their life skills and was always so grateful by their undeterred and never-doubting encouragement!

Your idea of romance, does this fill your paintings?
Yes, absolutely! The romance between people and our surroundings as well as the romance of the narrative fill my paintings.

Which is the most impressive appreciation note you remember?
Someone crying when they looked at one of my paintings was definitely hugely over-whelming.

Apart from painting what are the other areas of art that you try your hands on?
I have made a few short films. I love the medium of film and find it helps inspire ideas for my paintings and helps with the exploration of new and different emotions. I also like to write and have written a lot of short stories, poems and music. I have dabbled a bit with sculpture but I'm useless!

Five years from now, where do you visualize yourself?
Painting.

Among the contemporary painters whom do you admire most?
Chris Ofili and David Hockney

Something about Sacha Jafri the world doesn't know.
I am very hard to live with as I am obsessed by my paintings, I have represented my country at skiing, and I am a direct line descendent of 'The Profit Mohamed'. Painting is my life and cricket and skiing are my passion. I have raised just over 1.8million pounds for charity in the last 5 and a half years.

I did the painting to officially celebrate all David Beckham's achievements in football and with his academy over the last 10years, it sold in auction for 125,000 pounds. I was also commissioned to paint the official 'Ashes victory' painting celebrating England winning the 'Ashes' cricket test against Australia in 2005. This was the first time England won this in 18years, obviously a great honor, an artist's proof of this painting is now hanging in the 'Oval Trophy Room.'

I am the only artist to have painted live in the 'Royal Albert Hall' in front of a 5000 strong audience - definitely pretty scary! I am painting a 12foot guitar which will be on display opposite Tower Bridge in London in September of this year. I have been asked to paint a painting that celebrates the career of Brian Lara in July of this year live at Lords Cricket Ground.

What would be your advice to aspiring young painters?
Learn to draw and then find your voice, your language - something poignant you feel you want to convey. Look at the great painters of the mid point of the last century - 1920-1980.

Never give up; the answer is always there.


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