What did you want to be when you grew up? Chances are you wanted to be a couple of things, all at once. While many of us outgrow this and choose to focus on one vocation, Ridhi Rajpal is an exception. The lady is a director, writer, artist, and now an entrepreneur. In an interview with Mahevash Muses, Ridhi talks about her artistic journey, why her art is functional and wearable, and what is the perfect gift for art lovers everywhere.
You are an artist, director, writer, and entrepreneur. How did you end up donning so many hats?
Coming from a family of book publishers, my love for stories and storytelling developed at a very young age. My best memories of listening to stories are with my grandfather, who would often tell me tales of places he would travel to for work, and of the people he would meet there. Before long, I developed an interest in visual arts, probably because I used to love drawing as a child. By the time I was in my teens, it was quite clear that my love for stories and visual arts is best blended. That’s how I ended up as a director.
My entrepreneurial journey is less than a year old. In 2016, I created a personal challenge for myself to finish 24 paintings in a year, in order to utilize my free time productively and constructively. The paintings got appreciated by a lot of people, and by 2018, I found a way to paint regularly without compromising on my day job (yes, it’s possible!) Late 2018 is when I discovered my love for wearable and functional art and decided to kickstart my business venture.
Your Instagram feed clearly showcases your love for functional and wearable art. In fact, this kind of art is on the rise these days. Why do you think this is the case?
There are primarily two reasons for this. Living in a metro city like Mumbai has taught me that even if people love art immensely, space and money constraints overrule most of their decisions. A person might love a painting but their budget might not allow them to buy it or their landlord might not allow them to put a nail on the wall to hang it. So wearable art and functional art comes as a great solution to get mini pieces of art that are affordable yet unique. Moreover, people these days are looking for one-of-a-kind, customized or personalized things…nobody likes it when everyone else has the same things as them. We all want something specially made for us!
What makes your products the perfect gift for an art lover? And since Mother’s Day is around the corner, the perfect gift for an art-loving mother?
The USP of my products is that they can be customized in any color or style a person likes. An art lover can come to me with a request for mixing two colors, using less texture or more texture, and I’ll do it! The best part is the active brainstorming that goes on with a client to ensure they get exactly what they want.
For an art-loving mother, I recommend a set of mini-canvas paintings that can be arranged on the wall in whichever style they like. Based on request, sets of 6, 9, 12 and so on are developed. Even the coasters and trays that I design are like mini abstract paintings in the form of functional art and can be customized in any color and size. And for a fashion-forward mother, there are customized necklaces and earrings available. Imagine wearing a mini abstract painting on your neck!
If you could change one thing in the world with your art, what would it be and why?
I am currently researching on and studying art therapy as I want to be able to learn how to aid mental health treatments with my art. I see a lot of people suffering from anxiety and depression and they are ashamed to talk about it. If there was a way that I could make them feel more confident about themselves and help contribute to improving their mental health, I would consider my work as an artist fruitful.
To purchase Ridhi’s tasteful and handmade art, jewelry, and home decor, head to https://www.etsy.com/shop/RidhisArtAdventures.
