When we really sit down to examine her work, there is a certain difficulty in really pinning her down in one category. Her artwork goes from being deliberately cartoonish in one moment to being outrageously bold in another. Perhaps, it is a residual mark of her own wildly different background, from graduating with a degree in Instrumentation Engineering to dedicating herself to art completely and pursuing it as a career. Whatever the case may be, I think it is safe to say that Shweta Singh has weathered her storms and has her feet planted firmly on the ground. And, as far as it being difficult to pin her work in one category, that is, of course, a hallmark of all great artists. After all, unpredictability in their creativity is what sets an artist apart from the rest.
Raised in Pune, Singh recalls how she would often doodle on every bit of space she could find. Tissues, notebooks, benches, nothing really escaped her. Art was, in a manner of speaking, her escape. You see, when she was still in her childhood, Singh had thought herself to be another face in the crowd. Academic excellence was not something that she really strove for. In fact, for a brief moment, she really wanted to develop her own aptitude for sport. That came to an end when she was asked to focus more on her studies. At the end of it all, art was something that was her’s and hers alone.
I have always found myself scribbling at the back of the notebooks, on benches, tissue paper, paper bags, cups.
Shweta Singh
It wasn’t until 9th grade when she finally realized that others saw real value in the artwork she produced. Singh’s school librarian asked her to paint something for her, a 4 X 4 painting that she would hang in her living room. When her librarian asked her to sign the painting as well, Singh truly realised, then, that her mark would be left in someone else’s life. This incident emboldened her to pursue art seriously. By 2020, Singh had advanced enough in her craft to be able to win an online art competition. The win bagged her a Wacom drawing tablet and that served as a gateway for her into digital art. Now, she has built an impressive portfolio, with her own studio, Diseno Studio, with her projects branching out to illustrations for children’s’ books, brand logos and promotional illustrations for social media marketing.
It’s easy enough to look at her current body of work and the work produced by Diseno Studio and not be able to grasp the leaps and strides that Singh has made so far. In point of fact, the challenges that she has faced has helped mould her into the individual she is today. Egged into pursuing science and a degree in engineering by her family, Singh was never truly interested in exploring a career in that field. That said, all she wanted, at the time, was to pass her exams and graduate. It wasn’t until her third year that a professor lashed out at her and remarked on how she wouldn’t amount to anything in life. What was worse, the remark was made in front of Singh’s mother. That particular incident motivated her to work harder and perform better in her course. When she graduated, Singh did it with distinction, being amongst the top three students in her class.
That whole incident made her realise that nothing was truly impossible if she put her mind to it. When she realised that her job at the manufacturing firm was not something that she really wanted to take further, Singh applied that same thought. Her venture into custom painted shoes was doing well at that point and she really wanted to try her hand pursuing art as a dedicated career. She quit her job and took a shot at what she really wanted to do for the longest time.
This lesson that I learnt stays with me all the time and whenever I doubt myself, I remember this incident.
Shweta Singh
For Singh, art has always been markedly different to the larger monotony that exists out there. In art, she really finds the ability to convey her own thoughts and what she sees around her. This finds more ground once you see the incredible custom painted shoes that she produces through Diseno Studio. The vibrant colour palette and the stylistic patterns are more than enough to breathe new life into one of your old favourite pairs. More so, Singh sees art as something cathartic, a channel to purge some of the worries that exist in our daily lives.
That same strength in belief, Singh applies to others around her. True talent, she believes, is not something that goes unaccompanied by consistent work and practice. In pursuing something, she says it is crucial to keep your head about you, taking one step at a time and having faith in your own self. After all, if Shweta Singh didnt have faith in herself, we would have never gotten the wildly colourful custom painted shoes. Do yourself a favour, get your favourite pair done by her.
