Art that makes people grateful for the gift of life
Shubhangi Raheja is a Visual Artist based in New Delhi, specialising in 3D illustrations, animation and art direction. As an independent creative, Shubhangi has worked on iconic campaigns for over a decade for global clients such as Lenovo, Spotify, Huggies and Swiggy. Her personal art style evokes the heart-warming feeling of child-like charm. The sole purpose of her art is to make the viewer feel grateful for the gift of life.
Shubhangi takes The Independent World's QnA.
Q1. From Animations to 3D Illustrations to CGI, tell us about your journey – why and how you chose to become a Visual Artist?
Since childhood, I was always found with a crayon in my hand. I am blessed that my parents recognised my talent and found out an animation course for me. I did my graduation in animation and multimedia and totally fell in love with the world of art. After graduation, I joined a leading advertising agency as an animator.
While working there I got a chance to explore the world of freelancing and slowly I could earn at par with my salary. Eventually, I left the job when I was confident. I started to make comics and 2D explainer videos. I did that for 6 years. Until I found a free user-friendly 3D software blender.
During the lockdown, I started exploring that. I started practicing by converting my 2D art into 3D. Which led to my first successful NFT project – The Jar Worlds. This project garnered a lot of attention on social media and was exhibited in New York and Turkey. That’s how the journey of creating 3D art started.
Q2. We would love to know a bit about your creative process.
My creative process starts with creating detailed mood boards and collecting lots of references. This brings a lot of clarity. I take inspiration from diverse forms of art which are sometimes unrelated to my tasks. This adds a fresh perspective.
For e.g.: for some of my artworks I sometimes choose my colour palettes from the colours of ingredients that I am using to make my dinner. As I am fond of cooking and consider that also an art form. For composition and lighting, I sometimes take references from real photographs.
After these steps, I breakdown my task for designing into smaller and simpler steps.
I do a lot of iterations in my designs until I am satisfied. I create about 3 versions of designs and share it with my clients.
Q3. Tell us more about your project – ‘The Jar Words’.
I wanted to show whimsical and magical worlds inside glass jars. Depicting beauty in everyday life. The concept started during the pandemic when we were all locked up and had to create a positive environment at home. This collection consists of 18 Jars and 17 are sold out as NFTS. The collection was exhibited in NFT New York, Hillside Club Turkey, NFT Kochi and Sauce India Bangalore.
Q4. Which artists inspire you?
Last year I read the story of Keith Haring and it inspired me and how. I love how he worked for and with children. I personally love his art style with bold lines and vibrant colours.
I am also inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s life’s journey as an artist. Her courage in leaving Japan and making it big in New York against all odds is a source of motivation for me. I love her art that stands for individuality and freedom. Last year I got a chance to see her exhibition infinite Worlds which was magnificent.
Q5. What advice would you give to young and aspiring illustrators and 3D artists?
I would like to tell all the artists to develop a habit of creating. I think creating consistently and having a body of work will definitely change the destiny of an artist. I believe in creating in quantity without chasing perfection or high quality because while we are creating regularly our quality is bound to improve. Having said that, this is only possible when we are creating with fun and joy and not being under pressure. The best way is to keep playing, trying different mediums, exploring and experimenting