Recently, I reached out to the owner of the account @illustratress, an outstanding digital artist that brings light to important issues. The young woman is known for her work that spreads body positivity, dismantles colorism, and breaks down underhanded insults. By the way, the art pieces above were created by her. As luck would have it, I was able to interview the talented girl. In this interview, she talks about herself, digital art, and her inspirations.
How would you describe yourself, and what is the inspiration behind your username?
I’m just an average South Indian girl trying to turn her quarter-life crisis into art while drinking copious amounts of coffee. Other hobbies include reading whatever I can get my hands on, fuelling the shopaholic in me, and my personal favorite-smashing the patriarchy.
Ahh the username, well I just really love wordplay, haha. As gender-neutral as the word ‘illustrator’ is, it seems very male-oriented. I felt women who illustrate need representation too. Hence, the birth of Illustratress.
What pushed you to become a digital artist, and what attracted you to the art form?
Honestly, it was being stuck at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. I’ve always been fascinated by digital art and it’s always been something I’ve wanted to try but never got enough time for. Digital art, I feel, is very special. It connects to people easily and it’s the most effective way to communicate your ideas to a large audience in a highly technology-driven world.
How would you describe your digital art style?
It’s very feminine. I like to think of it as my innate femininity manifesting itself creatively.
Who are your main inspirations?
I love @hafandhaf ‘s works so much! Then there’s @coloursofhoney, @manal_mirza_ and @sasa_elebea. They just inspire me so much!
What motivated you to include such important messages in your digital art?
I believe that when you have a platform, it’s just wrong not to use it to discuss or raise awareness on serious issues. It’s about time we opened up more conversations on social injustices that have been normalized for centuries.
What subject matters interest you?
I’m interested in anything and everything related to women’s issues. There’s just so much ground to cover on this front.
What would you say to anybody who is hoping to become a digital artist?
Put in the work. As easy as digital art might seem, there’s so much that doesn’t meet the eye. Also, it’s important to find your purpose. That’s what’s going to fuel your passion and it’s also what will help you connect to people.
Advice to teenagers?
Speak up for what you believe in. Opinionated and well-informed people are the drivers of change and the world needs a lot of it.
Anything else you would like to share?
This is on a totally unrelated note, I just think it’s amazing that you’re doing this. It’s always refreshing to see young people actively participating in making a change.
As you can tell, Anika is a remarkable and extremely kind digital artist who uses her talent to spread awareness, so please click the link below to see more of her content. Thank you for reading!