This Bengaluru based artist has taken a break from work to tell stories through her portraits this Inktober

With one ink drawing a day, professionals and amateurs artists have creatively made Inktober one of the most popular hashtags of October. Joining them is Vijaya Sonia Aswani, whose Instagram page @spreefirit documents the story of every stranger she meets in the city through a portrait sketch. 

Talking about her solo project #EveryPersonInBangaloreCity, Vijaya says she was inspired by Jason Polan's book "Every Person in New York". In 2008, Polan set himself the challenge of drawing every person in New York, Vijaya hopes to do the same in Bengaluru until October ends. " I love translating ideas into drawings," says the visual artist.

So, how does she pick strangers for a portrait? "Intuition leads me to people who always happen to have an interesting story to tell," says the alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Design. When others see her sketching, they usually come up to her wanting to share a story and get themselves sketched too, she adds.

Born and brought up in Muscat, Vijaya says that she enjoys drawing strangers and her our conversations with them are not based on any pre-conceptions of each other. "That’s the most fun part of it. I ask the most unexpected questions, that’s where their precious story lay," explains the Bengaluru-based artist.

Caption cool: This Illustrator leaves a message as the Instagram caption, according to what her subjects were doing at the time of the sketch

She has made 18 sketches under the hashtag #EveryPersonInBangaloreCity so far. She took a break from work this month to do the project. "For now, I’m sketching till October 31. I’m going to pick it up again for my next break," she adds. She initiated the project to practise her live sketching skills. "I’m always searching for ways to make learning more fun. I love listening to stories, so I fused the two ideas together," explains the 23-year-old. 

Of all the sketches, there hasn't been a favourite yet, she confesses, adding that each story and face "was different and lovely in their own way". She has been really happy with the responses. "People are ecstatic to see their sketches on paper and are always excited to share their stories with someone who’d listen," says Vijaya.

The artist will be at Koramangala Social on October 27, 28 and 29. Got a story to tell? Drop by. Vijaya is all ears. The sketches made on these days will be hosted on a wall at the pub and be posted on Humans of Bangalore's Facebook page.