We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sheetaltara Sheetal Sonar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sheetaltara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is “Aksharkala Wari” (Pilgrimage of Calligraphy), my annual calligraphy series of 21 original calligraphic artworks, each honoring a different saint from a rich Marathi tradition from India. What makes this project special is its connection to an ancient pilgrimage called ‘Pandharichi Wari’ in my home state of Maharashtra.

The Pandharpur Wari, or simply Wari, is an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur, the seat of Lord Vithoba in Maharashtra. This centuries-old tradition, dating back over 700 to 800 years, is a profound expression of devotion to Lord Vithoba and a pinnacle of Maharashtra’s religious customs.

Pilgrims are called Varkari, and this movement is called Varkari Sect or Bhagavat Dharma which sought to transcend caste and gender hierarchies, promoting a message of universal oneness and direct, personal experience of the divine. The Abhangas, composed by saints like Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, and Namdev, are lyrical poems that convey spiritual wisdom in the vernacular, making them accessible to all, regardless of social status. These hymns are sung throughout the pilgrimage, creating an atmosphere of communal harmony and spiritual fervor

As millions of pilgrims begin their physical journey to Pandharpur, I start my artistic one. Every day, as the pilgrims walk, I create one artwork. It’s my way of walking alongside them in spirit, through my art. The series culminates on Ashadhi Ekadashi, a sacred day when the pilgrims reach their destination at the feet of Lord Vitthala.

It’s an attempt to bring India’s rich cultural heritage to the global stage. The Devanagari script, used by over 120 languages primarily in India and the subcontinent, and the 800-year-old Pandharichi Wari tradition unique to Maharashtra and parts of India, are rarely at the center of artistic attention worldwide.

I want to create this new category by depicting the aesthetically rich iconography of Vitthal, with his distinctive features like fish-shaped earrings, chandan mark on the forehead, hands on the waist, and the brick on which he stands. Simultaneously, I aim to explore the profound questions and emotions expressed in the Abhangs by over 50 saints across the ages, most of whom remain unknown beyond the rural, diverse cultural fabric of the Warkari community.

While popular Abhangs have been sung and celebrated, very few people are aware of the vast repertoire that challenges societal norms, expresses discomfort with the status quo, and ignites curiosity about the deeper aspects of life. My calligraphic works seek to acknowledge and give voice to these thought-provoking verses, which have the power to unite people across boundaries in their shared humanity and spiritual quest

Aksharkala Wari holds significance for me as it allows many people, who cannot physically participate in the Wari, to experience it through my art. Wari is a celebration of life and a festival of love. For context, during the Wari, everyone addresses each other as “Mauli,” regardless of age or gender, which translates to “mother” in Marathi.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Sheetaltara. I am a self-taught Devanagari calligraphy artist based in Quincy, MA.

My journey into this art form began 10 years back in Mumbai, India. I had a creative mind and skills, I used to do paper crafts, Quilling, Stitching, crocheting, paintings, Rangoli, Sculpting, doodling, and whatnot. Somehow I discovered the spark of calligraphy and intricate beauty of the Devanagari script.

I developed my skills through relentless practice and experimentation, I always wanted to push the boundaries of traditional calligraphy once I acquired basic skills and technical knowledge.

Devanagari is a challenging script. It has a rich history in India. Many scriptures and ancient texts were written using this script. Shiroresha (horizontal line on top of the letters) is a distinct feature of this abugida script. Every calligrapher has to balance between artistic freedom and rules of formations of letters. Conjuncts of letters add to its intricacies making it tough to practice and leaving a huge room for experiments at the same time.

I believed in the feedback loops and was always curious about what resonates with people. I used to aim for creations that people would connect with emotionally and receive positive vibes through interactions. To share the beauty of this script with a wider audience I started posting small things on X (then Twitter) and then on Instagram.

I found a community with growing enthusiasm and appreciation for experiments of traditional forms with contemporary aesthetics.

The cornerstone of my artistic practice is Aksharkala Wari, an annual calligraphy series that I’ve been creating since 2018. This project consists of 21 artworks each year, focusing on illustrating Abhang Vithhal’s devotional poetry through calligraphy. It reached millions of people over the years and I could feel the increasing curiosity and willingness to pursue this art form into a personal art collection.

In addition to Aksharkala Wari, I create a wide range of calligraphic works, from Film titles to cover art of musical albums and Business Logos to interior design concepts for modern homes. My work often incorporates typography, illustration, and digital art, always with Devanagari calligraphy at its core.

I strive to make this ancient script relevant and appealing to contemporary audiences while maintaining its cultural integrity. My self-taught background has allowed me to develop a distinctive styles that’s not bound by conventional rules, resulting in pieces that are both rooted in tradition and boldly innovative.

While the traditional path to this art form prefers technical correctness over other aspects I prioritise aesthetics over technical precision. I love using modern technology to experiment with scripts.

I might be one of the very few people who work in Devanagari script who have created works in Augmented reality. I published a few on my feed. This completely changes the way enthusiasts are going to engage with art. Imagine the experience of being inside your favorite letter or ring of words in your favorite poem. That’s not far from reality in AR artworks.

My mission is to present the Devanagari script more beautifully with each creation and make it a popular script globally.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Perfection haunted me in the beginning. I strived to write perfect letters, which meant ensuring equal height for all letters, consistent stroke thickness, uniform slant, and equal spacing in every element. This pursuit of technical perfection was so overwhelming that I forgot to enjoy the process.

I even compared my work to that of masters in the field, going as far as measuring the distance between letters in various calligraphy pieces. Looking back, I laugh at how meticulous I was.

However, I eventually realized that the process of creation is what truly matters. When I started focusing on the process rather than the end result, I discovered the magic in my work. Let me explain this ‘magic’ part: when you look at a good piece of art, it evokes a positive feeling within you. I call that magic. When I enjoy the process, the outcome often feels magical.

To reach this stage, I had to unlearn my obsession with perfection. Every artist will have a different perspective on this, but ultimately, the feel of the artwork is what’s important. If you feel something is beautiful, then it is beautiful. Achieving technical perfection might not always result in beauty. Embracing this mindset has allowed me to create work that is more genuine and expressive

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I discovered the Google Arts and Culture platform in 2021, and it has been a game-changer. Before finding this, my exposure was limited to physical books and basic image searches, which hardly scratched the surface of the world of art.

It provided access to an incredible variety of art forms, artists’ stories, their discoveries, and sometimes even demonstrations. It’s like having a global museum at your fingertips. you can explore colors, forms, and compositions in artworks from around the world, and every small detail tells a story about where the artist’s ideas originated.

I believe that continued engagement with varied art forms is crucial for fueling your creative engine. When you limit your knowledge and exposure to just one art form, there’s a high chance of developing a bias or becoming too heavily influenced by a single style.

This cross-pollination of ideas has drastically improved my understanding and discovery of my art form over time.

I wish I had discovered this platform earlier in my journey. It’s an invaluable resource not just for artists, but for anyone interested in creativity. If you haven’t explored it yet, I highly recommend visiting it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sheetaltara21
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sheetaltara