INTERVIEW

For those caught up with the humdrum of everyday life, letter writing may seem a hopelessly outdated form of communication. But not for this Mumbai-based artist Sumedha Sah who is spearheading the revival of this slowly dying art form. Not for a sense of nostalgia but because of a humane touch it brings along, Sah puts her mind and soul to it.

An architect by profession, Sah started the Snail Mail project in 2015 when she wrote a post inviting letters through her blog. After reading the letters she creates artworks inspired by the content. The 29-year-old self-taught artist has till now received 30 handwritten letters from complete strangers from all around the world. She plans to showcase the works once she has a “good collection”. Anyone can write to her and can get an original artwork accompanied with a handwritten note in return.

Speaking to Guardian 20, Sah talks about her inspiration behind the project, its undefined nature and how it has made a difference in her painting style.

Q. How and when did the Snail Mail Project come into being? A.

The Snail Mail project had been brewing inside my head for a few years and when I moved to Mumbai to work as an architect and pursue my artist residency at IIT, I found the perfect time, place and opportunity to start it.

Q. From where do you draw your inspiration? Is there any common idea or motif behind these out-ofbox illustrations of yours? A.

The letters that I receive are my sole inspirations behind Snail Mail artworks. Each letter being unique in its idea, content, feeling and form motivates me to respond in an equally distinct way.

Q. What was it like to get your first letter from a complete stranger? How has your life changed after this initiative of yours? A.

When I initially started the project I didn’t know if it would reach anyone at all. I made a simple post explaining the Snail Mail Project on my personal blog. When I received my first letter I couldn’t believe that someone, somewhere had read about my humble project and taken out time to write back to me. The feeling was magical; the first letter was from a boy in Poland.

I certainly make more visits to the post office and the neighbourhood letterbox and you will find me often waiting for the postman to arrive! The project has certainly made a difference in my painting style; I am now more experimental and confident in my work.