Cart

Meet the artist behind our 2023 Gift packs

An introduction to Maheswari Janarthanan

When we began working on the theme for this years gift packs, we knew we wanted to collaborate with an artist, to get their unique take on the theme. The only problem was we didn’t know who that artist would be.

We wanted the work to convey the essence of love and connection and after looking through many artists work, we found ourselves being drawn to Maheswari Janarthanan’s bright, colourful and positive pieces.

Maheswari used her own interpretation of the themes to communicate what these ideals meant to her in a unique and creative way. We wanted to share more about this wonderful artist below.

“My work is an expression of my love for art, beauty, nature, and people. Deeply inspired by nature and people, I create drawings that are a fusion of both the real world and my imaginative world.”

Maheswari Janarthanan

What area in India did you grow up in and how old were you when you noticed that you had a love for art and creativity?

I’m from the southern part of India. I grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As a child, I hated going to school and the only subject I ever enjoyed was art.

I was a quiet child and drawing helped me enjoy my own company and get into my dream world.

 

Did your childhood and the environment or where you grew up inform your passion for creativity?

Definitely! It shaped me into the artist and designer I am today. Art is everywhere. From the daily kolams (drawings) drawn in front of everyone’s house, to the vendors selling beautifully strung flower garlands in the streets, the chaos, the colors, the art history, the textiles, the language, and the food. The arts and beauty of India are so rich and layered that whoever lives there will be influenced by them.

I see so many beautiful colours and regular use of flowers in your work and I wondered if you spent much time in beautiful gardens or in nature when you were younger or when you are painting and creating?

I never visited botanical gardens when I grew up but I was surrounded by flowers. At home, on the streets, anywhere and everywhere you can see flowers in India. As a child, I watched my mother, aunts, and grandmothers string garlands from flowers in our terrace garden. It is a sight to behold watching flowers being strung together. It takes skill to pick a variety of flowers and leaves and create a stunning piece of art effortlessly. They do it casually over a cup of chai while talking about mundane events. The admiration for flowers grew much later but my childhood played an important role in shaping that.

Have you always had an interest in expressing your imaginative world through art or is this something that has developed over time for you? 

Growing up, drawing was my escape from the real world. It wasn’t until I started working in my mid-20s that I discovered my creative and imaginative side.

My art is like a mosaic of bits and pieces of inspirations woven together slowly into art over time.

Your artwork has so many elements but I get feelings of positivity, love, care, kindness and ultimately connection when I view your work, is this how you intend for it to be viewed? and is there intentionality when creating or is it more directly an expression of how you see the world / how you want to see the world around you?  

That’s very kind of you to say and I am happy that my art conveys positivity and hope. In my opinion, it is the joy I get when I create art that transforms/expresses or even conveys positivity to those who observe it.

What are your plans for your art over the next few months or years? 

My full focus is on my Masters in Graphic Design at Maryland Institute College of the Arts right now. I am learning new things at school which I am excited about and looking forward to what this program has to offer me.

 

We would like to thank Maheswari for her time and sharing some more about her story with us and we wish her all the very best for the future. We look forward to seeing more great work from this talented artist for many years to come. You can see some more of Maheswari’s art here.