I was born in Mumbai, India and I come from a Jain family.
Having grown up in a metropolitan city and having a modern but humble upbringing, the fundamental values like honesty, integrity, faith, loyalty, humility etc have made a deep impact. I was told to, live for something greater than yourself and the gratification of your hard work will demonstrate outcomes.
I am a professional visual artist but have pottered with various ventures. I have worked in corporate world and also taught kids. These experiences in diverse field have helped me to cognize that I love teaching and I enjoy being an artist. Currently, I am doing both these things.
My paintings echo my values and are also poems of colours, which evoke a visual meditation of the energies, thoughts and feelings. The paintings are a cue for our wonderful origin, the delicate fragility of that gentle existence.
Introduction: Tell us about yourself, your background and what you do currently
I am the youngest in my family. What I am today is because of my parents. My father is a self-made man who had to give up his education midway to support his family. Due to this, education was very important for both my parents and all of us were always encouraged to study. I have dabbled in various certifications such as Fashion, Jewellery designing, Yoga and Montessori, while pursuing my Masters in Commerce. I have worked in different fields, as an independent Designer, started a Montessori and even started an Activity Class for children. I always loved teaching but my true calling was Art. I went to the USA to pursue my MFA.
Despite my parents’ humble beginning, they always believed in doing humanitarian work. Seeing my parents being philanthropic since childhood, I learnt humility and the importance of ‘giving back’ the society, which has driven me to hold Art workshops with various NGO’s around the world.
As of now, I am a full time professional visual artist and work from my studio on most days. Apart from being a Heal Your Life Workshop Facilitator, I am also a Teacher at the MKS College and take classes on Advertising and Design.
Tell us about any current projects or initiatives you wish to promote
Since the last few years, I have been doing voluntary workshops on art at various NGO’s (Adapt, Bal Bhavan as well as with Dharavi Kids, Progressive Comprehensive LLC, USA). Sometimes, I amalgamate their work with mine for an art show to create mindfulness for an inclusive society.
I have initiated the Teach India project of TOI (Times of India) in collaboration with British Council for MKS College, which will start this month with 25 kids. It is a project to make students versatile with spoken English.
Next, is going to be housewife project and underprivileged children with Teach India.
There is so much to do J and I am taking small strides and one project at a time.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
I would like to quote ‘Challenges make life noteworthy and overcoming them is what makes it consequential.’
I have faced challenges in every endeavour and when that task has reached its goal, it becomes a success. Success therefore for me, has been facing and overcoming the different hurdles that life throws at me.
One of the biggest challenges that I am still facing is, promoting or marketing paintings. I want to create a niche market for paintings. I would like art to be comprehended as an investment and not something to fill up the empty walls.
What has been your greatest achievement personally?
I pursued my MFA from San Francisco, USA, which was on an impulse (my undergrad is in the field of commerce & management). So, when I came back to Mumbai, India, the impediments were to create a career in art and to be part of the inclusive art fraternity. Even though my family had no proclivity in the field of Art, I was supported by them. It was purely my passion that has driven me and got me here, so far, and although I haven’t reached my goal, I am still working towards it, tenaciously, I am grateful for being able to have a foothold, however small, in art.
A few milestones for me are:
- My painting, ‘Voyage’, has been selected for ‘H1B Visa’ at Smithsonian Asian Pacific American centre, Washington DC, USA and now is live on Google Arts & Culture.
- I was also one of the few lucky artists invited to do a painting -‘One World’ for the 83rd birthday of His Holiness Dalai Lama.
- I was invited to be a part of the Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens Exhibit: Artists for Peace and Common Understanding. Painting: ‘AUM’ at John Natsoulas Gallery, USA
- “The Soul Within” another painting of mine was featured on a billboard on Times Square, New York. This painting has also made it to the Museum Quality Coffee Table Book, ‘Art Takes Times Square.’
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?
I always leaned towards creativity and teaching. I am doing both the things directly or indirectly.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My Parents – Like I have said earlier, my Father is a self-made man, who achieved everything he had set out to do. His journey has always inspired me a lot but, he could achieve his goal because of my mother’s unfailing support. My mother has been the backbone for his success as she was holding fort at home when he started his own company, dedicated 18 hours a day to be a successful businessman. My siblings and I, are able to lead a comfortable life, reap the benefits of their hard work.
I believe the values in me have been imbibed from my parents and that has facilitated me to broaden my vision in my growing years.
Instagram – venussanghvi_artist
LinkedIn – Venus Sanghvi
Email – [email protected]
