The artist

Artist statement

I’m a software engineer by profession and a painter by nature. The two sides have always lived in me at once: one logical and analytical, the other intuitive and free.

I’ve been drawing since I was about four. I realized early that I could draw flowers better than the other kids, and that small spark kept growing. Growing up in India, I learned watercolors and poster paints, entered every school art competition I could, and won quite a few. Art was always my alter ego.

In 2014 I moved to the United States, earned a master’s in computer science, and have worked in tech ever since, currently at Spotify. Painting is the other half of me. When I work in oils I lose track of time. I paint from intuition, but I like planning a piece too.

My paintings come from things I have lived: growing up as a girl in India, the story of India’s independence, and a rebellious streak that never accepted ‘that’s just how it’s done.’ The work is close to biographical. My recent series, Acts of Defiance, is about women stepping outside the mould and refusing the limits society places on them. My earlier series, Chrysalis, was quieter, about transition and transformation. Both were journeys I had to take myself.

I’m now stepping into a more serious focus on my art, giving it dedicated time to paint and to exhibit.