We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kajal Zaveri a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kajal, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
To find one’s purpose and stay on that path with conviction, is often a unique and evolving process. and deeply personal. For me it has emerged organically, over time, through a combination of life and personal experiences, my passion, and the desire to follow my heart, and now my commitment to sharing my art aesthetics and related skills with others. It’s been a journey where the destination has been determined by the interconnectedness of personal fulfillment, creativity, and meaningful contributions to the community. I was not always been a full-time artist but switched to being one since the last few years. I grew up in India and I was always surrounded by vibrant colors, and various traditions, and customs that encompass colors, patterns, and celebrations. Though I pursued academics, I continued honing my art skills by practicing and creating whenever I could. After moving to California to pursue my post-graduation, I started working in the corporate sector but was not enjoying it much. But while there, I was mesmerized by the expanse and beauty of California and started to visually journal my joy and wonderment on canvas. I was happy and at peace while painting and decided that this was what I wanted through my day and my life and what my purpose in life was. I quit my day job and focused all my energies on my first love – painting and pursuing art as a full-time career. Being an artist, I really enjoy the freedom that I have carved for myself to create my visual stories and conversations about what I choose to share as I continue to learn, grow, and create and then share my point of view with the world.
I have recently found an immense sense of fulfillment as a volunteer and an art teacher to young artists of all abilities. I have conducted various guest artist sessions for various NGOs and Art Museums and helped with Covid relief efforts through auctioning my art. I am also humbled to have had the opportunity to be a mentor and advisor in various capacities. My various varied interactions showcased the immense strength and power of art and how rewarding, satisfying and therapeutic it can be when shared with one and all. In the process, I also learnt a lot about myself, and this has boosted my confidence both as an artist and a collaborator. This entire experience has strengthened my vision that my purpose is to keep creating my art with even more gratitude, joy and conviction.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a full time artist who very recently moved to New York after spending many years in California. My painting style is a mix of abstract and semi abstract portrayals of nature in rich, lush colors. My work is free flowing, and expressive and falls in the realm of Abstract Realism. I let my observations, encounters and memories of places and experiences, act as a point of departure for abstracting for a more representational and modern composition. Since the viewer doesn’t know of her particular point of inspiration, it is my hope that when they view my work, it ignites their own fond memories of special places and times and entice nostalgia and dreaminess and a sense of commonness and shared experiences. I am so blessed to have my work well received and sold on Williams Sonoma home, One Kings Lane, featured on Times Square Billboards and featured in magazines like Elle Décor and Popsugar.com. I have been able to exhibit and sell at major Art Fairs like Art Market San Francisco and Spectrum, Miami and Red Dot, Miami and privileged and humbled to have many private collectors from all over the world, buy my art and showcase that in their beautiful homes.
Having recently moved to New York City, I am getting excited and inspired, all anew. The movement, energy and diversity of the city will definitely be reflected and make inroads in my new work. I too am excited to see the results of the amalgamation of the vibrant colors from my aesthetics from India, the calm and anchoring that I felt in California and now the vibrancy and movement on New York being all juxtaposed and getting reflected on my canvas. I and am looking forward to sharing my artwork at various exhibitions, art fairs and through new art galleries in this new year.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As an artist with a unique journey, it’s important to reflect on the qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that have been impactful. Being authentic and communicating ones unique point of view and voice is the most important quality that I believe helped me to get my share of success and exposure. Authenticity resonates with audiences, fosters connection, and distinguishes work in a crowded artistic landscape. I learnt to embrace my perspective, my life experiences and cultural influences and create what made sense to me , felt natural to me and what made me happy, My advice to anyone would be to invest time in introspection to understand your values, experiences, and emotions. Allow your art to be a genuine reflection of who you are, and don’t be afraid to explore unconventional ideas and styles. Experiment with different artistic styles and techniques., and embrace change and view it as a natural part of artistic evolution. It is also important to be in a continuous learning mode. My genuine passion for my craft and curiosity and regularly creating art, even if it’s in small increments has helped me to refine my skills, develop a recognizable style, and build a robust portfolio over time. There is no substitute for strong work ethics.
Getting exposure that may lead to commercial success is very crucial for any artist. Connecting with other artists, galleries, and potential collectors can open doors to opportunities and broaden the impact of your work.. Using social media to promote work has also been an effective way to increase the reach for my work and got me interviews and sales. So be social media savvy, be curious, have your own point of view and work very hard. That has been my mantra and that’s what I would share with anyone if asked.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I believe many factors, rather than a singular reference point, have helped me in my artistic career so far. Some have been personal and some external. My art comes from a positive and happy place, and is a culmination of my memories and experiences, both past and current. It starts with a strong foundation laid down with a happy childhood growing up in a close-knit family. My dad, my biggest role model, gave me wings to fly and taught me to dream big and believe in myself like he did, and my mom taught me to work hard for what you want to get, and to give back selflessly. I also am blessed to have a very supportive husband who is always there to help me in various capacities, like photographing and packing my artwork, to encouraging me to dream bold for myself and to being my biggest cheerleader. My son is one big reason that made the switching of careers to pursue painting full time, much easier and allowed me to be a full-time mom to him. My passion and love for art gave me the courage to quit my comfortable, steady, well-paying job to happily paint every day. I have also learnt so much along the way from various teachers, fellow artists, kids that I teach art to, friends, and many wonderful people and am so grateful for all and every interaction that had helped me pursue and get better at my craft each day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kajalzaveri.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artist.kajalzaveri/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KajalZaveriArt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajal-zaveri/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaveri_k
Image Credits
Sandip Parekh
