Ask Ritu Lohia where she sees herself in the next ten years and she says, "Among the top ten artists in India and the same goes for my interior/architecture studio." And why not? You have to take a look at her Instagram page to know that she has 'got it' as an artist. Whether she is trying to capture the corners of her house through her paintings or trying to capture parts of Europe, where she studied — all of her work is enchanting. Then comes Studio Cynefin, the design and architecture firm that she launched with her friends in Hyderabad just three months ago. So you see, the 29-year-old is all set to achieve her ten-year goal.
With no training, just an innate sense of art driving her forward, Ritu's painting was selected for the Goa Affordable Art Fest (GAAF) 2019. This gave a boost to her confidence and since then there has been no looking back. Even before this artistic epiphany struck her, she had the academic foundation of architecture to aid her. Her Master's in Interior Designing which she pursued from Florence Design Academy, Italy, left a particularly lasting impression on her. "Studying in Florence gave me perspective. I used to initially be apprehensive of showcasing my art or design, but something changed after I came back from Europe in 2018. It instilled a newfound confidence in me," says the youngster, still sounding like she is in awe with the Bel Paese. Why, you wonder? Because she saw local artists making the streets their studios and not shying away from spectators, that just did it for her.
Just before the lockdown hit, Ritu, who was born in Indore and has been residing in Hyderabad for the last 15 years, even organised a seven-day workshop at home on soft pastels. Though she is not thinking about organising online workshops at the moment, she surely wants to experience conducting more in-person workshops soon. "I am constantly learning and experimenting. Social media has given me both a lot of inspiration and encouragement," says the artist who paints only when the sunlight is streaming into her little corner studio at her home. Having her own firm also gives her the flexibility of turning to art whenever she finds time in the day.
The plan to achieve her ten-year goal is to conduct solo exhibitions and keep posting her artwork on Instagram. As far as her firm goes, they have a few residential and commercial projects already at hand. Way to go!
Painters she has paid tributes to via her art:
- Amrita Sher-Gil: Indian painter, poet and pioneer of modern Indian art
- Nicolai Fechin: Russian-American painter known for his portraits
- Edouard Léon Cortès: French post-impressionist artist
- Paul Fischer: Danish painter known for depiction of city life
For more on her, check out instagram.com/ritu.lohia.art
