Neethi

An illustration created in collaboration with Meera Ganapathi, for her webzine Soup

Neethi

Neethi’s fluid and textural illustrations hint at the three things that inspire her body of work—plants, girls and dreams. With a brush dipped in a multi-hued palette, she creates whimsical characters that take over her sketchbooks and her Tumblr page. An independent illustrator based out of Bangalore, Neethi began her career as a textile designer. ‘Since the beginning, I have dabbled in designing for various surfaces—table linen, curtains and rugs, to entire print collections for fashion weeks. I began art directing shoots and designing look books. I also tried my hand at advertising and worked on many branding projects until I found my true calling—illustration. I have learnt a lot from all my experiences. They make me who I am today,’ she says. 

Neethi

At a time when she was feeling completely uninspired, Neethi started her pet project, People with Plants. She soon had pages overflowing with colourful illustrations of the Indian basil, aloe vera and other leafy finds from her garden. Last year, as India completed 69 years of Independence, she was one of the 69 artists invited by Animal Design Studio to participate in their project Indianama. A documentation of events and stories, Indianama saw each artist pick a year and an event that shaped the path to present-day India. Neethi chose 2007, and her richly layered illustration spoke of the year when Taj Mahal was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World initiative. Soon after, she collaborated with Madhya Pradesh Tourism and Tumblr for an illustrated series that takes you through the hidden gems of the state. Neethi’s breezy illustrations capture beautifully the old-world charm of the tomb of Muhammad Ghaus, Gwalior Fort and Man Singh Palace. This year, aside from commercial projects, Neethi plans to revisit People with Plants. ‘I am committing this year to wellness. With this series, I want to go back to the roots, absorb and learn more about nature,’ she says. 

Neethi

Indianama

Her journey is as much about where she’s headed as it is about her beginnings. When tracing her romance with art, Neethi finds one person who shaped her relationship with colors and ideas—her father. ‘As a kid, when I was buried in books, my dad took keen interest in doing all my art assign- ments. Eventually we started collaborating. I would draw a tree, and he’d challenge me to draw a bird on it—make it a narrative. He knew when a nudge was needed, and that’s exactly how I got into design school. Today, I’m really glad to have taken it up professionally,’ smiles Neethi. 

Take a look at her work here.


Text Ritupriya Basu

Neethi

Man Singh Palace - A collaboration with Tumblr and Madhya Pradesh Tourism