I draw inspiration from the rich traditions of Indian folk art, particularly the Bengal school of art. I do not have a formal art education background. Instead, I am a master's degree student in Geography at Presidency University in Kolkata. My journey into the world of art began during the pandemic in 2020, fueled by my love for art. Despite achieving high ranks in Art College admission exams in 2020, my parents did not want me to pursue the study. Consequently, I started my journey of self-learning art, drawing inspiration from nature, architecture, fabric, alpana, jewelry, and the dynamic people around me. This inspired my enthusiasm for visual storytelling, prompting me to seek a career in art. My work experience involves various creative roles, from collaborating with other artists and taking up big and small freelancing projects to showcasing my art in local galleries and fairs. Since last year, I have also started selling merchandise featuring my artworks, and my parents seem to be quite pleased with this small venture. As I continue to develop my artistic style, I hope to gradually grow my work into a brand that reflects the rich heritage of Bengal and my passion for creativity and storytelling.

I grew up surrounded by the rich cultural heritage of Kolkata, where I was deeply inspired by the traditional Bengali art of Patachitra. Later, I took a short course organized by NPTEL, a government initiative in India, to learn about Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, and Gond art. These art forms, with their intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and storytelling elements, resonated well with my personality as I am an energetic and fun-loving individual. This experience taught me to see art as a powerful medium for storytelling and cultural expression.

The rich symbolism, motifs, colors, and themes found in Indian folk arts have greatly influenced my work. The characters in my artworks have bigger eyes, similar to those in Jamini Roy's art, and the structural form resembles Patachitra. The backgrounds in my artworks are mostly inspired by Bengali "alpana," depicting nature. I have never been perfect in drawing human anatomy. The folk forms of art gave me the confidence to accept my flaws and grow into something unique. The fusion of folk and digital art allows me to explore a range of themes, from mythology and folklore to social issues and personal experiences, all while staying true to the essence of Indian art.

I have observed modern art methods overshadowing traditional ones, exacerbated by the increasing use of AI. Through my artwork, I aim to preserve our indigenous traditions while keeping pace with the times.

First, I understand the details of the traditional techniques I want to represent digitally. My initial step involves creating hand-drawn sketches on my tablet. Once the sketches are digitized, I use digital tools such as Procreate to recreate the intricate details and patterns. I take special care to replicate the hand-drawn quality by using custom brushes that imitate natural media textures like rough ink, watercolor strokes, and canvas textures. Additionally, I create digital palettes that maintain the traditional hues.

I consider the cultural and historical contexts of traditional art forms and study the meaning behind each line and pattern. I see myself as an artist who not only preserves traditions but also connects the past with the present.