Work on a stARTup
Five self-taught artists are living their dream of turning entrepreurs with creative art workshops in the city
The line ‘small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises’ by Greek orator Demosthenes comes true for five selftaught artists in Hyderabad. They have taken small steps to find strength in art and give wings to their dreams by launching their ventures in the form of creative workshops. Most of these workshops are held in cafes and breweries, helping participants engage with art in a different setting.
No pressure to create
A native of Erode in Tamil Nadu, Alisha Avasthi learnt fabric painting at a summer camp in school.
“Painting was simply for joy,” says this selftaught artist who explored different techniques and styles while pursuing B Tech and MBA and then a corporate career.
During a solo trip to Gokarna in 2019, Alisha met Debasree Dey, a cotraveller who had quit her job to conduct art workshops in Pune. Her story gave Alisha the confidence to not let an idea remain in her head. However, her corporate life continued for another four years before she launched her art venture Inspiring Pigments in March 2023.
This art venture has held more than 40 workshops on weekends at cafes and breweries. The twohour guided workshop has her painting step by step with the participants, most of whom have lost touch with arts in school, and others who have never painted in their lives. “The joy and surprise that they can create something beautiful is priceless.”
Of psychology and arts
Marzia Ali, a major in Psychology and Mass Communication, was always immersed in arts, as she was introduced to the field by her artistmother, Mumtaz Jusaf. “I have been seeing art since the day I was born, our house used to be filled with colours and paintings. I would often watch my mother paint and take workshops,” recalls Marzia.
The psychology graduate applies psychology in her entrepreneurial career. Beginning as an Astro (astronomical) artist, she initiated the Duende Box (art subscription service) in 2018 — and had to discontinue it during the pandemic— and subsequently ventured into conducting workshops as ‘Marzia Ali the art label.’
Marzia’s online and offline workshops and longterm courses in Hyderabad and Bengaluru introduce participants to jesmonite (collaboration with Bohriali) resin, alcohol and ink, and fluid art. They provide artistic experiences to individuals and corporations such as Google, Fabindia, ProjectEve and LBB. The fiveyearold company with more than 100plus classes has around 10,000 students. She says, “My mum would say, ‘You live by passing on your knowledge to others’. I want my skills to pass on so that art continues even when I am not in the field.”
Love for art
Practice makes anyone perfect, believe friendsturnedbusiness partners Puja Das and Prodipta Ghosh. Natives of Jamshedpur and Asansol, the selftaught artists came to Hyderabad to work and study. Puja recalls how their venture Almanac was established in 2023: “While we chatted over a cup of coffee, we realised Almanac could be a way to take our love for art forward.”
In these 18 months, Almanac has a database of more than 1,000 students and has held sipandpaint sessions, private events, curated flea markets and worked with influencer marketing teams and curated wall mural projects.
Do the sipandpaint workshops become socialising events rather than serious art sessions? “The sessions let people network, socialise and make new friends; they create a comfort zone where they relax with others, sit and draw or paint, thereby creating a new experience,” replies Puja.
Enriching experience
Palugula Pranathee worked in a genetic lab for three months in 2018. “I enjoyed Science but didn’t find lab work exciting; I didn’t see myself doing it forever,” recalls Pranathee. Her only exposure to art was a competition she had participated in class ◣. Bored during the 2020 lockdown, she took out her colours and began painting landscapes.
Painting 100 days continuously as part of a social media challenge ignited an interest in art.
“I would watch online videos but the techniques didn’t work for me.” Thereafter, exploring her artistic style, she began posting works on Instagram which brought her many followers.
Having conducted more than 300 workshops for adults and children, she likes to work in acrylics in her workshops.
Pranathee feels her personality has changed because of her art enterprise.
“I was an introvert and not many people knew me in Hyderabad but after these workshops, I feel everybody in the city knows me,” she laughs.