About

Hello!!!

My name is Athira Dev. I am an Artist and Designer.  I currently create everything out of my home studio. I love using both digital and traditional techniques of painting, it purely depends on what has inspired me and what I wish to express through my art. My main source of inspiration is nature and emotions. I am a Self-love enthusiast and all my products in some way emphasise loving oneself and are created with the hope that it will add joy and beauty to someone’s life. All products you see on this website are designed/painted/crafted by me with a lot of love and are Proudly Made In India.

 

My Journey

My journey with art began when I was very young. From the time I could remember I have been drawing, painting and creating simple crafty things. Being an emotional person I often found art as a way to express myself and a place where I could be me. I have never taken any formal art training but I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the field of art, creativity and design. 

In 2011 I joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore and started my studies in Fashion Knitwear Design. My four years in NIFT have been the best and the toughest years of my life. From performance anxiety to sleepless nights, they were four years of packed practical knowledge about design. 

I graduated in 2015 as the Best Performing Student from my department and also with the Best Design collection award for the year 2015, I even got placed as an Executive Designer in a reputed retail Brand even before I finished my graduation. 

After one year of work, I wanted to travel and study more and completed my MA in Design Futures from Nottingham Trent University, the United Kingdom in 2017. I returned to India and joined the retail industry as a Graphic and apparel designer in 2018.

And.. then 2020, the pandemic, lockdown, isolation….

Sometime mid-May of 2020, as the world went on lockdown and work was from home, I found myself gravitating towards art and painting as I had more time at hand. Initially, it was just a way to keep myself engrossed in some activity that would take my mind off the dystopian world outside and the fact that I was away from my husband during the lockdown. It slowly changed into a way of life, and couldn’t imagine a day without painting or creating something. I fell in love with art again, just like when I was a child. When I paint I feel the most connected with myself and wanted more and more of it.

During this time I started questioning what I want to do in life, and what happiness means to me. I realised a full-time corporate job wasn’t taking me to the life I want for myself. A life where I can create and be creative and make things that bring joy to me and the people around me. So, in December 2020, I quit my full-time job and started working as a freelance artist.

I have always dreamed of starting something of my own but didn’t know where to start. But I started thinking of ways I could translate my art into products that I would want to use.  And that is how this website got launched. I have just taken my very first step towards my dream, and I am excited to see where this takes me.