Artists in Hyderabad turn entrepreneurs, one workshop at a time

Five self-taught artists in Hyderabad launch creative ventures through art workshops in cafes and breweries, inspiring others to create.

The line ‘small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises’ by Greek orator Demosthenes comes true for five self-taught artists in Hyderabad. They have taken small steps to find strength in art and give wings to their dreams by launching their ventures in the form of creative workshops. Most of these workshops are held in cafes and breweries, helping participants engage with art in a different setting.

A native of Erode in Tamil Nadu, Ayesha Avasthi learnt fabric painting at a summer camp in school. “Painting was simply for joy,” says this self-taught artist who explored different techniques and styles while pursuing B Tech and MBA and pursuing a corporate career.

During a solo trip to Gokarna in 2019, Ayesha met Debasree Dey, a co-traveller who had quit her job to conduct art workshops in Pune. Her story gave Ayesha the confidence to not let an idea remain in her head. However, her corporate life continued for another four years before she launched her art venture Inspiring Pigments in March 2023.

This art venture has held more than 40 workshops on weekends at cafes and breweries. The two-hour guided workshop (fee ₹1600 includes all art material and a beverage) has her painting step by step with the participants, most of whom have lost touch with arts in school and others who have never painted in their lives. “The joy and surprise that they can create something beautiful is priceless.”

The ambience is relaxed, with no pressure to create in a certain way. Participants are asked to express themselves freely, and not copy the teacher. “The idea is to not create a duplicate artwork; I ask them to add or remove certain elements to express themselves,” says Ayesha who is inspired by her travel, for landscapes. The workshops painting abstracts or themes like Northern Lights, Starry Nights and Golden Voyage bring out members’ personalities too.

Ayesha also conducts art workshops as part of corporate well being or team building activities.

Marzia Ali, a major in Psychology and Mass Communication, was always immersed in arts, as she was introduced to the field by her artist-mother Mumtaz Jusaf. . “I have been seeing art since the day I was born, our house used to be filled with colours and paintings. I would often watch my mother paint and take workshops,” recalls Marzia.