We recently connected with Manju Agrawal and have shared our conversation below.

Manju, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In April 2021, I had a near-death experience with the delta wave of COVID. This experience, and the impact it had on my physiological and mental health, motivated me to restart painting as a therapeutic form of recovery. Today, I work with my daughter Mahak Agrawal who is a sustainability and climate scientist to create sustainable artwork. In the past 1 year, we have shipped more than 100 paintings across Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, India, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France. As independent women artists from India, the journey and sales are never easy or financially sustainable, but the love and passion for creating paintings that are loved, non-toxic and cherished keep us moving forward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Manju Agrawal, based out of New Delhi, India. Originally born and brought up in the Rajasthan state of India, also known as the “Land of Kings”, I moved to New Delhi soon after my marriage in 1986.

I completed my Master’s post-marriage and soon after had to give up my dreams of joining the professional workstream to take care of my children. My daughter was born with a heart defect and at the age of two was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder. As my husband worked in the government, I chose to be a homemaker over a salaried employee.

Looking back I do have several regrets but in the entire journey of life, art has been one near-constant that helped me thrive, grow, learn, and recover. I started with mixed media and a lot of experimentation with different types of paints, techniques and base materials. The most common paints I used to use from the 1980s to the early 2000s were from Faber Castell or Kokuyo Camlin, as they were the only options available and affordable in India. But, I had to give up painting in 2009 as I suffered from permanent tendon tears in both my shoulders.

In April 2021, I picked the brush again and there has been no turning back.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Growing up in India, I learnt several art and craft forms. I also realised that Indian society accepts and supports the art of learning art, but when it comes to actually supporting artists and creatives the support is minimal. It will accept and support artists who are well-recognised in the international domain, but it will not support independent artists and creatives by commissioning their work or spreading the word about their work.

I believe that countries need to start emphasising and supporting artists and creatives via policy solutions, easy access to technologies and various incentives. It needs to start creating an enabling ecosystem where society’s perspectives change as well.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As a self-taught artist, mum of two adults, homemaker and fighter, I have been experimenting with textile paintings, pottery, decoupage, canvas art and paper-based art for the past 30+ years.

Presently, I create sustainable artworks with my daughter Mahak Agrawal using natural or recycled base material, inks and paints in our mission to ensure that art is safe, sustainable and not a piece afforded by the rich alone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram to the artworks shared by my daughter: https://www.instagram.com/mahak.agrawal/
• Digital portfolio of available works on Canva: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEiwoQCsw4/9Tq9MsRXpJPzdUE4OLFmuA/watch?utm_content=DAEiwoQCsw4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink