Meet Nalin Kamat

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nalin Kamat. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nalin below.

Hi Nalin, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Art has always been a part of my life. I started drawing when I was only 2 years old. My Grandfather was a professional artist and his first gift to me was a box of crayons. Since I can remember I always enjoyed sketching and drawing. As I gradually increased my skill, I became more serious about becoming a professional artist. And by the time I was 12 years old, I started looking for opportunities to display and sell my work.

But I hit an unexpected roadblock. I discovered most shows and art fairs had age restrictions. Many art galleries had legal restrictions that were barriers for young artists. An artist was expected to turn 18, finish high school, go to art school, and then start exhibiting their work. Emerging artists very often struggle to find spaces where they can showcase their work, connect with mentors, and receive recognition. The art world can be daunting, and opportunities for emerging talent are frequently limited. As a result, many young creatives lack visibility and support, which hinders their growth and development in the art world.

I was 13 when I first exhibited and won awards for my art. But opportunities to exhibit weren’t frequent. So I decided to create a gallery specifically for under 18 and emerging artists that would provide this opportunity to many other young artists like myself.

By creating an environment focused on youth art, the Gallery bridges the gap between emerging artists and art enthusiasts, helping to elevate the voices of the next generation. This niche not only recognizes the creative potential among youth but also addresses a gap in the traditional art market that often overlooks their contributions.
Fast forward to 2024, Little EGG Gallery has exhibited nearly 1000 artworks of 350 artists from all around the world. We have also exhibited in prestigious art fairs in NYC, such as Art on Paper, with +100 galleries featuring top modern and contemporary art. The gallery has been featured on Hyperallergic, Reader’s Digest’s cover article, Artsy, CBC TV & CBC Kids News, The Art Newspaper, Toronto Star, TLN TV and more.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Little EGG Gallery continues to thrive and grow. Artists from all over the world have participated our shows. Little EGG has financially supported young underprivileged artists from Ukraine, Uganda and Israel to allow them to exhibit their artwork.

In just over 2 years, we are on our way to achieving our mission of becoming the global venue to celebrate the next generation of contemporary artists.

The Gallery also represents nearly ten artists from Canada and the US. All their artwork for sale is available on our website shop and Artsy pages. Our represented artists are showcased in exhibitions every few weeks as well as art fairs in NYC in the spring and fall.

For 2025, we are already planning a full roster of exhibition and fairs in Toronto and NYC, including numerous events featuring our represented artists.

The gallery has an open call for artists all year round. We host juried exhibitions with 40 – 60 artists every few months in Toronto and NYC. The shows feature awards for the top artists as well as 100 – 150 visitors at the usually sold out opening receptions. We also empower young emerging musicians and singers through performances at the opening receptions.

The gallery also offers space rentals to all artists to exhibit their work. Our space features two separate 1000 Sq Ft galleries with 100 ft wall space each. We have previously held shows with over 100 person capacity per space. All rentals will also receive Artsy and Now Toronto show postings, as well as promotion on our website, social media, newsletter and Blog TO. Open to all artists, regardless of age.

We will be hosting our NYC spring show in April. Last year the show featured nearly 70 artists, sponsored awards, and nearly 300 visitors at the opening reception.

We will also be hosting a the “Vibrante” Under 18 Art Show in June in partnership with the festival TD Salsa in Toronto to present our flagship show of the year. We are excited to be returning in 2025 for a third straight year!
The show explores the colour and vibrancy of the Latino culture. This show has been featured on CBC TV, Toronto Star and TLN TV. The opening reception will feature a TV crew interviewing artists, as well as Latin themed drinks.

In Nov 2025, we are hosting a different juried show titled “Reflections”, were we will exhibit the current work of contemporary artists in Canada, whilst also displaying artwork they created early in their art journey. Through the exhibition, visitors can observe the unique development of each artist and how they reached their current creative process. Open to all artists.

Applications for all these shows are on our website.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Resilience, Courage and Hard Work. Starting a business is the hardest hurdle to overcome. You are looking at a blank slate and often aren’t sure if your business will be successful or not. You need the courage to prove people who didn’t believe in you wrong. When I started my business at 13, many people told me it would be impossible and to wait till I was older. But you need the most courage to believe in yourself and trust your ideas and hard work to make your dream become a reality. Resilience is also crucial to deal with the ups and downs and uncertainty of being an entrepreneur.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I started the gallery when I was 13, with no connections in the art world. It was an uphill battle to get opportunities and stand out from long established art galleries in Toronto. Getting accepted by more prestigious art fairs, organizations and newspapers was a challenge. Many professionals thought the gallery was simply a gimmick. It was also difficult to make people understand why the gallery is only for young creatives. I think one of our jurors said it best: “Artists have more creatively when they are young, before they feel pressured to follow rules and styles in their work.” Art has no rules – and should have no age barrier.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images are mine.

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