INTERIORS

ARTSY TOUCH TO YOUR HOME DÉCOR

By Sindhura Repaka

Home décor is not just what looks good. It reflects your personality, and aura and is something that makes your house a safe space for you. Be it adding a rug to add that cozy hygge touch or an artistic painting to express creativity, be it choosing interesting coffee table books that brew conversations or having a statement vintage furniture piece to carry forward your heritage, home décor is definitely what adds to the otherwise just colored walls.

Andre Putman once said “For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond and balance one another” , and we couldn’t agree more. So here are some artsy pieces from local artists to spruce up your living space, add depth and bring a creative aspect to your balanced home.

Madhubani and Contemporary Folk Art by Bhamini Shree Visual Artist, Art mentor & Writer Instagram: @bhamini _ shree

Bhamini is a self-taught visual artist, art mentor, and writer who has been in the world of art and artistic expression for over 15 years and has worked on various forms of art including various Indian folk art like Madhubani, Lippan, and Warli, intricate and ornate mandalas, expression and pop art. She uses art as a medium of thought provocation, normalization, curiosity, and conversations and has taught over 50,000 patrons from across the globe, through direct and collaborative sessions and workshops. When Bhamini observed that folk art is often undervalued, and people seldom observe the thought process, she wanted to take this folk to the market where it's not just about history, but also about the concept, and curation, like any other good work of art. Her first painting was sold when she was shadowing a mentor. In her words, “Identifying art as decor is the first step of devaluing art. Art is the visual sensory point, which allows one to feel in a certain way, think beyond the obvious, set the mood in a certain manner, and of course, the other aspects of investment, etc, then emerge. With the increase in social media usage, while the concern about the availability of art for homes is reduced, the concern is the volume of options, often leaving buyers baffled. In my opinion, while making any purchase related to art, one should first check out the options nearby. Not only does it support local, but also reduces transit costs, ultimately benefitting the buyer oneself. ‘The Fearless’ , depicting the faces a woman can take and that all these faces are equally beautiful and acceptable is one of her favorite works.

How can we encourage people to support local artists more?

In general, art is assumed to be an inaccessible genre, which is far from reality. Owing to this, one usually tends to go behind the norm and seldom explores the uniqueness available around. This is one habit that needs to be worked upon. The onus usually falls on the artist to make their works available. The role of galleries is also very important here. During the start of my career as a visual artist, particularly from no formal art education background, this gap was evident and what I experienced is that it's more to do with the mindset of "let the risen rise more" than let there be inclusive growth. We need more galleries, more art stores, more art walks, more workshops, and easy access to the above all.

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Watercolour Art by Nithya Kandalam IT Consultant & Watercolour artist Instagram: @ nithya _ kandalam

If you are looking for framed art pieces for your collage wall or a subtle touch of watercolor landscapes and waterscapes to elevate your space, Nithya has got you covered. This IT Consultant accidentally stumbled across watercolors and her curiosity to learn led to spending a lot of time watching YouTube videos and Skillshare classes. Although since childhood, she was used to pencil sketches, she realized she would get good at painting only once she starts painting. On a random day in the summer of 2017, she saw an Instagram video of an artist painting colorful watercolor leaves and it felt very therapeutic. Just to give it a shot, she got some watercolor tubes and started exploring, one thing led to another, and her obsession with painting watercolor landscapes never ended. She believes, Hosting, attending, and creating awareness about various pop-ups in the locality, Tagging/sharing the work of artists, giving positive reviews/comments on their social media, and engaging with their content are some small steps to encourage our local artists.

‘Pebbles on the beach’ is one of her favorite pieces. She describes she took her time and painted each pebble with all her heart.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how would you suggest people do more of it?

Art always adds beauty. One can always choose the type of art that vibes with their personality and have more of those around them. Though large statement pieces are the in-thing now, many smaller ones are also great as they can represent the various moods the modern lifestyle presents. In the end, it is all about what appeals to the heart/eyes.

Mandala and Zentangle art by Sruthi Padakanti Architect, Artist & Art director Instagram: @sheetal.sruthi

If Zen mandalas are your aesthetic, look no further and contact Sruthi Padakanti aka thehyderabadiartist. Sruthi is an architect, and artist and is currently working as an art director. She was introduced to this art style through her architectural journey where she studied its history and the importance of details. Remembering her first selling art piece, she says, “I do remember that moment and it's just so priceless. I always had this in the back of my mind. The core purpose of being an artist was to have a piece of my artwork exist somewhere on the earth even when the one that made it is no more. ” She believes that art should not be made in a set period, under conditions or controls. It’s something that just has to be made at its own pace. She doesn’t want art to be her only way of making money. ‘Intridala’ which was her first artwork to be showcased in the state art gallery amongst great artists throughout India is one of her favorite pieces.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how can we encourage people to support local artists more?

It's always a great choice to have statement pieces, not just those picked from stores. Having a handmade or unique piece will always add value and make the space look rich and customized. We can encourage local artists by having more art exhibits that will expose people to a lot of new art forms, and more stores and online platforms that help artists put up their works in galleries. Making it a family outing and getting all age groups to a place.

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Scribble Art by Harish Bhagavathula Learning and Development Consultant & Scribble Artist Instagram: @Mangopenciler2.0

Harish’s scribble arts serve as not unique and valuable art pieces but incredible conversation starters. His art pieces look like just another portrait when seen from a distance but if you look closely, you'll notice that it has been created using seemingly random lines instead of smooth shadings. Though Harish has been drawing portraits since childhood, he was never a big fan of smooth/realistic shadings. His journey into scribble art started when he accidentally stumbled upon the profile of a Malaysian artist named Vince Low. His first selling piece was a Groot sketch which he made for himself and posted on Instagram when someone asked if they could have a copy of it framed. This pleasant surprise became a memorable experience for him. Harish mentions that luckily his livelihood is not dependent on selling art. But he prefers to sell his pieces at flea markets and art exhibitions because it makes him happy to see people own a piece of something he created. His M.S.Subbulakshmi piece is his favorite of all his works. He describes how this piece of his holds the divinity in her face as closely as possible and that too with a minimal amount of lines.

How can we encourage people to support local artists more?

As I said, the feeling of buying artwork from someone you know or can talk to is amazing! It is like purchasing vegetables directly from the hands of the farmer who worked hard in creating them where you also get an opportunity to appreciate them for the same. I think art exhibitions and galleries are great places to encourage this. I know for a fact that people would want to encourage local artists but they don't know where to find them. While social media is a great place for online exposure, in-person events are a great place for the people of the city to meet their artists and make contacts. I realized that their interest to buy art increases when they come and see the works in person and also when they get inspired by the artist they talk to at these events.

Murals by Shreya Varakhedkar Mural Artist Instagram: @shreyavarakhedkar

Shreya is your one-stop destination for breathtaking murals. This versatile artist is into wall art, murals, stage design, installations, customized canvases, and portraits and also takes classes. According to her mom, she started drawing and painting at the age of 4. With constant support from her family, art became a part of her. She always liked to experiment and she believes this quality has taught her a lot. She dropped out in 2nd year of her NIFT course as she realized, she was not really into fashion design. She wanted to explore more. Later in 2016, she and her partner formed a company called Art Gravity. They took up projects ranging from organizing travel camps to making murals, organizing events to arranging stage installations. Currently, they do stage production for the Prism club and kitchen and other freelance projects. Her first sold art piece was when she was 16. Talking about her favorite art piece, she mentions, “I have a lot of art pieces very close to me but one piece I'd like the world to see is one I did in the lockdown about the natural healing when the humans were locked in.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how can we encourage people to support local artists more?

Art is self-expression and the beauty inside you can beautify the home better. I feel everyone should have that personal touch in the place they live. These days there are a lot of DIY ( do it yourself) things you find online. But I prefer making art out of waste. One major thing clients do is not pay the entire amount or pay on time. We are all working hard as artists to make a living, the biggest support would be if we got our payments on time, be it any art form. Also, people could choose personalized gifting like portraits or some decor pieces that way we get a lot of small projects and it's not very expensive also.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how can we encourage people to support local artists more?

I say go ahead and do it. Buy art, support artists, and make it a norm to treat one’s place of existence as sacred. The hanging art of your choice changes the aesthetic and ambiance of a home. Also, I wanted to mention: protesters attacking historical artworks to draw attention to question the rich is pretty diabolical. Most of these artists celebrated died poor and the rich getting richer based on ART is ironic. Buy our art! Lift the ancestral curse! Make artists rich when they're alive! You can support local artists by following their work, by buying if you can afford it, and not bargaining, and most importantly not saying things like "oh I like to paint sometimes too, but not as good as you, didn't choose to take it professionally. haha!

Surreal- Science-ism by Sravya Kothalanka Musician, Artist, Model Instagram: @ladyskavya Sravya Kothalanka also called Lady Skavya for her music, has been very magically inclined since a young age. Growing up she was very much into renaissance art. Frida Kahlo was her greatest inspiration, (fun fact: they share the same birthdays and the same subjects for their art- themselves). She also mentions that Da Vinci, Dahli, and of course Van Gogh were an influence. ‘SurrealScience-ism’ is a term she coined for what her art is called as it explains it all. This full-time artist does a lot of creative things, takes her art very seriously, and says she wouldn’t do anything else for a living. She sold her first original piece when she was 18 and described how accomplished and overwhelmed, she felt. She does people's magical or aura portraits, takes custom orders for conceptual artwork, paints walls, and makes celestial jewelry, which she rather calls ‘body décor’ . You can find her art alter ego/brand – witchitralu on socials too.

Portraits by Spoorthy Punna Software engineer & Artist Instagram: @spoorthy _ arts _ crafts

Spoorthy’s childhood love for arts and crafts soon turned into a side hustle. Her first sold artwork was a tiny clay key chain. She dreams of one day displaying all her artworks at an exhibition. Mandalas have been her recent obsession amongst other arts including miniatures, crafts, canvas paintings, quilling dolls, and glass paintings. This promising artist believes that people who use art as home décor have a colorful environment and a positive vibe. And that a room that is decorated with natural and real art looks way more attractive rather than a mass-produced piece. She sure loves filling up and decorating each part of her home with crafts and art pieces.

How can we encourage people to support local artists more?

You can reach out to the group where good professional artists are available, through meetups and gatherings, and art contests. Art exhibitions and Art programs as well. People all around the city will be very much interested to join each of these. I met many people in my life in this way.

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Micro art by Karthik Teja Student & Micro artist Instagram: @microarts1715

If you are looking for a smaller art piece for your side table that is sure to catch an eye, then micro art should definitely be on your list. Karthik is one such micro artist who works with pencil lead carvings. With a zeal to gift something handmade, Karthik stumbled on micro art and after 34 days of learning trial and error, he made his first piece. He now carves sculptures, customized names, and other art on the pencil lead which can serve as a gift or a decoration to elevate your living room tables, shelves, and walls. His first selling art piece was a customized name on a pencil. What started as a zeal to learn this art form soon transformed into a side hustle observing the demand for this artwork in the market. He aims to teach his art form and bring awareness to handmade things.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how can we encourage people to support local artists more?

It feels good to see people nowadays using handmade things as home decor for their living room rather than merely hanging photo frames. The inclusion of different art forms like a mandala, Digital art, illustrations, string art, and micro art is becoming mainstream. We have to encourage people to support local artists by creating awareness about handmade things and products and by showcasing their efforts for doing that. Also, it’s on artists too to create according to the people’s needs if we are expecting our art to be bought and supported.

Invert art and charcoal art by Yashwanth Moguram Student & Artist Instagram ID: @Yashwanthmogaram

This multidisciplinary artist juggles between various art forms including Charcoal art, Pencil art, Canvas painting, Coffee art, Invert art, DIY crafts, planters and home décor, Mural art, and Miniature paintings. Yashwanth has found his canvas to be his best platform to share his emotions and this intrigued him to try our different art forms since childhood. He soon turned into an admirer of Invert art once he understood that art is not only what we can see with our naked eye, but also there are e few kinds of art that need the support of the digital eye as well. His first sold art was a customized charcoal sketch for one of his Instagram followers. This made him think of selling his artwork online. He says this not only helped him make money but also allowed him to explore his artistic side. He believes Art is not only showing the skills on canvas. It is also beautifying the home or public places where pedestrians can walk through and have a look at the artworks with a sense of creativity and meaning to it.

How can we encourage people to support local artists more?

As local artists find it difficult to come into the limelight due to the lack of reach of their works to the public, we need to come up with an open art exhibition platform where all the local artists can come and showcase their artworks. This not only adds value to the artists but also encourages the viewers to bring out the creative side within them. We can come up with competitions, workshops, and collaborative arts, which will enable all the local artists to connect and share their knowledge.

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Home accessories by Rebah (Inaya Fatima) Artist Instagram ID: @rebah.in

If you are looking for elegant yet sophisticated home décor with a human touch, Inaya‘s hand-painted cushion covers, table runners, mini-customized paintings, and upcycled hand-painted light bottles are a perfect fit. Be it digital illustration, erotica, murals, Hand painted fabric (clothing - all genders) handmade & hand-painted accessories like a scrunchie, hairband, pouches, hand painted home décor, she does not restrict herself to only canvases. Her first selling art piece was at her first exhibit and by one of her Instagram admirers. Inaya always dreamt of being an artist since a very tender age and back then business/money /sale/art exhibits /exposure was something that kids were unaware of. But one thing she was absolutely sure of was to be an artist and as she got more exposure to things around her, she wanted to create art for a purpose, to inspire people through art. Today, she is a self-taught artist, proud founder of RÉBAH by Inaya, and an art teacher and freelance digital illustrator.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces and how would you suggest people do more of it?

In this modernized lifestyle, we hardly find original art pieces and most of them are just replicas. I don't understand how difficult is it to at least retain the essence of art & craft that our Indian culture is already filled with. I think everyone must own art pieces at least as home decor, creating all by yourself is the best but I understand that not everyone is born creative mind to make art pieces. Hence that obstacles are resolved as well but brands like us who make them.

Digital art by Bindu Reddy Digital Artist and Creative Writer Instagram ID: @paintings _ by _ bindu

Though Bindu was drawn to sketching and painting since childhood, she returned to art in 2017 after being diagnosed with clinical depression, as one of her attempts to change her lifestyle Then, with digital art slowly becoming mainstream, she purchased a Wacom and practiced it on Adobe Photoshop for a year before allowing herself to indulge in an iPad, bought out of savings from art commissions. Her first selling piece was a watercolor painting of the village square, which her grandmother purchased for her kitchen wall. She explains that the most favorite pieces of her work are a sketch of her mother and another of her grandmother and her grandfather's sister- both in a single frame. She made it for her grandfather when he was very ill to remind him of his sister and wife, who both passed away by then. The way his face lit up when he received it, she expresses is proof of how much power art holds.

What do you think of people using art as home decor pieces?

I feel we Indians are behind the rest of the world in this. An artwork is a feeling captured and frozen in time, according to the American artist Joan Mitchell. Having an evocation of a bright place or time in the form of a beautiful painting/sculpture as decor might brighten an otherwise fleeting moment in existence where we are less about experiencing living and more about existing. Access to art in everyday living lessens the feeling that existence is all there is to living. Being an artist means that the person prefers to dive into his inner soul and fish out things to do, which are totally complementary to the skills needed to sell those products. When someone facilitates exposure to their art, an artist would greatly benefit.