We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dipa Halder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dipa below.

Dipa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

About a year and a half ago, I quit my stable, well-paying job as a software engineer to pursue art full-time.

Taking my art seriously as a career was never something I thought was possible for me until recently. Like so many others, I had absorbed the pervasive message that art isn’t a “real” career path, so I let inertia carry me toward computer science, which opened doors to a career that offered an intellectual challenge, financial security, and social validation. Yet despite how perfect my professional life appeared on paper, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t in the right place—as if I had been swept along by a current I never consciously chose to enter.

Despite my attempts to distance myself from art, it kept finding ways to resurface in my life. I’d channel this creative drive into various forms—meticulously curating every detail of my apartment’s interior, painting murals for local spaces, or teaching myself floral design because I was captivated by how colors and forms could work together. The times I’ve allowed art into my life, both experiencing it and creating it, are the times I’ve felt most alive. I eventually realized that a life devoid of art is simply not an option for me.

The decision to leave my tech career crystallized around a single, persistent question I could no longer ignore: What would it be like to dedicate all of my time and energy toward art? Where would that take me?

The leap has taken me places I could never have imagined. It led me to completing an artist residency in Colombia, relocating to New York, and establishing my own studio practice. I’ve released two sold-out painting collections and two solo exhibitions, with more shows coming up. More notably, I wake up each day feeling aligned with who I actually am rather than performing a version of success that never quite fit. While I’m still discovering where this path leads, it’s such a dream come true for me to have art be at the center of my life right now.

Dipa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an abstract painter and interior designer based in Brooklyn

My path to art wasn’t linear—for years, I worked as a software engineer while nurturing my artistic practice on the side before making the leap to pursue art full-time in late 2023. This transition wasn’t just a career change but an investigation into who I am as an artist and what kind of relationship with creativity I want to cultivate.

At its core, my practice is about helping people live with more beauty, depth, and intention. As an artist, I create abstract works that explore the terrain of our inner world — work that invites stillness, curiosity, and reflection. As a designer, I help people create homes that reflect their inner lives — not just a style or aesthetic, but a feeling. Spaces that are warm, opinionated, and deeply personal.

Whether someone is collecting original artwork or looking for support in designing their space, my goal is the same: to create a sense of presence, mood, and resonance. I think what sets me apart is the way I blend the emotional sensitivity of fine art with the spatial intelligence of design — I care just as much about how something feels as how it looks.

Since going full-time, I’ve completed an artist residency in Colombia, released two sold-out painting collections, and held multiple solo exhibitions. My most recent spring collection, Traversing, is a meditation on finding your way through uncertainty and creative reinvention. I’ve had the privilege of working with clients like TikTok, Figma, Quince, and more, and my work now lives in private collections around the world. My paintings and interiors have been featured in publications like Apartment Therapy and Domino.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Our environments shape who we are more than we realize. They influence our moods, our thoughts, and even how we relate to ourselves. My mission is to create spaces—whether through art or design—that help people reconnect with themselves in a raw and meaningful way.

In a world that moves at a relentless pace and prizes constant output, I’m interested in what it means to slow down, feel deeply, and live with intention. Art has a unique way of holding space for what’s often left unspoken—the emotions, memories, and truths that don’t always have words. I believe we’re all craving more honesty, more warmth, and more imperfection in the things we surround ourselves with.

My own journey—from software engineer to full-time artist—taught me that creativity is a form of remembering. It’s a way of returning to what lights you up and what makes you feel whole. Through my work, I want to help others find that spark and live more intentionally and fully.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most fulfilling part is seeing someone connect emotionally to a piece of art I’ve made — especially when it helps them connect to a part of themselves they may have lost touch with, or haven’t even yet discovered. With abstract art in particular, there’s a kind of quiet magic that happens: it bypasses the logical mind and speaks directly to something deeper. It’s always humbling to witness how something personal to me can become deeply personal to someone else in an entirely different way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dipahalder.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dipahalderstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dipahalder/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dipalua_

Image Credits

Mari Huang