Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveAnushka Sen: Strengthening cultural bonds as the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism

Anushka Sen: Strengthening cultural bonds as the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism

By: Amrita Priya

(October 2, 2024) Indian actress and influencer Anushka Sen made headlines as the only Indian to feature on billboards in Korea, following her appointment as the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism last year. At just 22, Sen has garnered several accolades in both the Indian and Korean entertainment industry. Recently she got honoured for her contributions in strengthening Korea-India relations, an impressive achievement given her young age.

As the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism, Anushka has played a significant role in bridging the cultural gap between the two nations. Expressing her gratitude, she shared with her fans, “Another moment to share with you all, honoured to receive an award from CEO Mr. Hyun Woo Kim of SBA (Seoul Business Agency) for my contribution to strengthening the relationship between Korea and India.” She also thanked director Lee Jung Sub for her accomplishments. “(Realising) my dream of working in K drama, being appointed as the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism, and now getting recognized for my contribution in strengthening Korea India relationship will definitely motivate me to do more,” she added.

Indian actor | Anushka Sen | Global Indian

Anushka Sen being honoured by Seoul Business Agency CEO Hyun Woo Kim

Recently, the actress has also been in news for teaming up with the South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji, who won the silver medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. The duo is working on a global project, titled ‘Crush’ where the Olympian plays the role of a shooter alongside Anushka.

International collaborations

Anushka’s upcoming project, Asia, is a multilingual action thriller with actors from India, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam. The actress is playing the role of an assassin in the international project. “It’s truly a global endeavour, a K-film, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.” she shared.

Highlighting her admiration for Korean cinema and her excitement for the Indo-Korean collaboration, she recalled, “During the pandemic, watching K-dramas made me feel wholesome. I kept thinking about the possibility of collaborating with the Korean entertainment industry. The quality of their content is truly inspiring.”

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A post shared by Anushka Sen (@anushkasen0408)

Anushka finds many similarities between Indian and Korean cinema, particularly in how romance and family dynamics are depicted. Glad to have fulfilled her dreams of collaborating with the Korean entertainment industry she mentioned, “India and Korea share the love for culture, music, and the passion for craft.”

Anoushka’s Korean ventures include a television drama, a film, and a travel show – the achievements that led to her appointment as Honorary Ambassador of the Korean Tourism.

Starting out as a child actor

Anushka Sen began her acting career as a child actor in 2009 with Zee TV’s Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli. That same year, her first music video, Humko Hai Aasha, was released. She rose to popularity in 2012 for her role as Meher in Sab TV’s Baalveer. Since then, she has appeared in television serials like Jhansi Ki Rani, as well as in Bollywood films like Crazy Cukkad Family and Lihaaf: The Quilt. She has also acted in a short film, Sammaditthi, and appeared in several music videos.

Early Life and Education

Born in Ranchi to a Bengali family, Anushka moved to Mumbai with her family when she was not even 10. She attended Ryan International School in Kandivali, completing her higher secondary education in the commerce stream under the CBSE board.

Anushka Sen during her days as a child artist

The actor is grateful to her parents for encouraging her to explore a variety of activities such as Abacus, skating, drawing, painting, singing, and playing instruments at a young age which helped her explore her interests. “After school, I was always busy with many co-curricular activities,” recalled the youngster who has pursued a degree in filmography at Thakur College of Science and Commerce, Mumbai.

Combination of luck and hard work

For Anushka who has been in the industry for over 14 years despite being just 22, fame came early in life. A huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan, she never misses his interviews and believes his words when he says, “being surrounded by the right people at the right place at the right time helped him reach where he is.” She thinks it applies well to her own journey. “It’s a combination of luck and hard work. Without one, the other won’t work.”

Another person who inspires Anushka is Priyanka Chopra, whom she considers the brand ambassador of India to the world, and aspires to become as popular as her.

With close to 40 million followers on Instagram, Anushka wants her fans to understand that like anyone else she is human too. “I can make mistakes and experience uncertainty, confusion, and fear of the unknown just like any other youngster, as I am still growing up,” she remarked.

The influencer who calls herself an extrovert looks at social media as a journal where she can go back and see how she grew up personally and professionally, and how she evolved as a person. “I don’t look at it as business,” she mentioned.

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A post shared by Anushka Sen (@anushkasen0408)

Love for South Korea

For Anushka, having a large fan following in South Korea, just like in India, feels ‘surreal.’ As the brand ambassador of Korean Tourism, she loves the people of Korea for their warm-heartedness.

The Mumbai-based actor loves shooting in South Korea. “The people there are just as accepting as Indians. In India, we treat guests like gods, and similarly, in Korea, they make you feel like one of their own. I have never felt alienated in South Korea,’ she remarked.

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Published on 02, Oct 2024

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Terrific at terrible two: Toddler Anvi’s painting glory

(May 3, 2022) At two-and-a-half years, Anvi Vishesh Agrawal from Bhubaneshwar has become a celebrated artist with a coveted place in the World Book of Records, London for creating maximum number of paintings (72) by a toddler at such a tender age. With invitations like presenting work at exclusive art exhibition in Delhi to inauguration of childcare product stores, the toddler artist has also wrapped up a meeting with Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, happy to receive chocolates from him. In fact, when she was approached by Global Indian, the little artist thought it would be the chief minister again to discuss her paintings. Though cheerful, she was not ready to disclose much, saying “You are not Naveen Patnaik”. [caption id="attachment_16020" align="aligncenter" width="619"] Anvi, award-winning little artist[/caption] The October 2019–born also found a place in the India Book of Records when she was just one year and nine months old for her exemplary vocabulary of 42 Spanish words, and knowledge of all the 42 phonic sounds. “This is an ability that children can display at three years of age but not as early as 21 months,” says her educator mother Anuradha Dalmia, adding that by then Anvi also knew the

e India Book of Records when she was just one year and nine months old for her exemplary vocabulary of 42 Spanish words, and knowledge of all the 42 phonic sounds. “This is an ability that children can display at three years of age but not as early as 21 months,” says her educator mother Anuradha Dalmia, adding that by then Anvi also knew the names of 26 birds, and 42 animals besides having started her abstract art journey at the age of 9 months.

Mom – the pillar

Armed with training in Montessori education and child psychology, Anvi’s mother Anuradha is the director of Indian Public School Sambalpur, a venture started by her parents, and also the director at her own venture, Little Harvard preschool in Bhubaneshwar. A strong pillar of support behind the little prodigy’s achievements, she has given her daughter the “freedom to explore and test her own limits.”

“We could observe that Anvi was keen on painting since a very young age. She used to go to the garden, come back and try to replicate the patterns of the leaves on paper. She knew all primary and secondary colours by the age of 21 months, and also knew how to draw shapes by the time she was 26 months old,” beams Anuradha with pride.

Anvi was given natural colours to experiment with in the beginning like beetroot mixed with flour, and the likes to create patterns. When it got ascertained that she is able to handle the liquid colours well without harming herself, she was introduced to market colours. “With the number of hours of exposure, and allowing to willingly practice, without any pressure; Anvi was able to reach this point,” tells Anuradha.

Born artist with a knack for experiments

Inquisitiveness and experimental persona of the little artist became evident when she started using many household objects to create interesting art pieces, much to the happiness and surprise of her elders. “When Anvi was gifted magnetic toys, she soiled them in colour, and rejoicingly informed, ‘magnet colour pulling’. In play, she discovered the non-brush form of painting. We later googled to find out that it’s a form of painting through which human geographical figures are created, and is quite popular abroad with people spending hours watching painters creating magic,” adds Anuradha.

Whether it was the water gun that was given to the toddler around Holi, or her mom’s hair dryer, or the icing cones for cakes being baked at home, or the kitchen wipers, Anvi applied basic science to create beautiful abstract paintings; analysing and experimenting on her own without much adult intervention. This led to stunning revelation by her parents, who upon some research found that similar forms of art with fluid colours were practiced by established artists across the world. “When she is painting, she doesn’t want to be disturbed, and even puts her play time on hold till she is finished,” says the doting mom.

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A post shared by Anuradha Dalmia 🧿 (@anuradha_dalmia)

She seems to have acquired her love for the art from her grandmother, who has been into Tanjore painting with some exhibitions in Bhubaneshwar to her repertoire.

The little artist’s father, Vishesh Agrawal runs Vibha press which has been printing the Times of India and The Hindu Bhubaneshwar editions. The Delhi branch of the press has found a place in the Limca Book of Records for publishing newspapers in 42 different languages.

In-born intelligence

The keen observations of the little artist are not just confined to her world of paintings but she is also perceptive about everyday things around her. “Since she is taken to the garden quite often to water plants, if lemons in the salad are left unused, she points out, ‘it takes one month to grow, we should not waste it,’” says the proud mother.

The gifted child is already proficient in the nursery syllabus orally and her vocabulary is “fantastic”, sometimes using untaught but relevant words in the middle of conversations, to the surprise of her parents. “Either this generation is very smart or she is picking up faster,” wonders her mother, quickly adding that the reason could be her mini library of 200 books that are full of illustrations. Reading four or five of them daily is a part of her routine, refusing to go to sleep if she has not finished the day’s quota. The toddler has the tendency of repeating her favourite sentences from the books and one of those as spoken by her favourite teddy character is – “I am not tired, let’s play instead.” She merrily uses different versions of it too like, “I am not tired, let’s paint instead,” making life interesting for people around her while being completely unaware of the accolades she has already earned!

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Fast and Glorious: Motorsports enthusiast Muskaan Jubbal is right on track

(December 5, 2023) As a nine-year-old, when Muskaan Jubbal went full throttle at a karting track, she felt the adrenaline rush like never before. Being behind the wheels thrilled her to bits and negotiating the curves on the track instilled a sense of control. Thereafter, the need for speed refused to die down. On the contrary, it revved into top gear. So much so that she went on to clinch the ‘best woman driver’ title in the MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship held in Chennai recently. [caption id="attachment_34435" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Muskaan Jubbal[/caption] A hard-won victory “It was definitely not easy, with this championship also being the first season I participated in. It was mixed grid and most of the racers were double my age and experience,” smiles Muskaan, as she connects with Global Indian. Moreover, the 16-year-old says, it was raining during the race, which resulted in most of the racers spinning due to the wet track conditions. “I was extremely happy that I could prove myself, especially in those tough track conditions. And it is truly overwhelming when people come forward to congratulate you. It encourages you to keep at it and do better,” says the Grade 11 student of Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad. The

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Moreover, the 16-year-old says, it was raining during the race, which resulted in most of the racers spinning due to the wet track conditions. “I was extremely happy that I could prove myself, especially in those tough track conditions. And it is truly overwhelming when people come forward to congratulate you. It encourages you to keep at it and do better,” says the Grade 11 student of Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad.

The ‘next big thing’ in Indian motorsport

Muskaan, whom many in the racing circuit refer to as the next big thing in Indian motorsport, raced her way into winning major motor sporting competitions across India, including the Ladies Open BND Wars India at Budh International circuit and Mahindra XUV 300 turbo sportswomen with drive off-road adventure zone, among others — all in a span of five years. She started taking part in competitions since 2018, when she was 11.

“I have had an inclination for cars and speed since the age of six,” says Muskaan, who happens to be the youngest and fastest female on the track. She recalls sharing the track with India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan. “I even took advice from him on how to improve my skills further,” she says of her meeting.

[caption id="attachment_34436" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Muskaan with Narain Karthikeyan[/caption]

Muskaan participated in the Sodi World Series - Karting championship in Dubai in 2020. “Participating at an international level made me stand with the strongest competitors from all around the world. Seeing them perform motivated me also to work harder towards achieving my dreams in motorsport.”

Need for Speed

Born January, 2007 in Faridabad, Muskaan’s father Jyotinder Singh Jubbal is the owner of Mahindra Stiller Auto Trucks Ltd., which is a manufacturing unit.

“Both my parents and brother are also into motorsport,” informs Muskaan, whose father loves participating in Autocross & TSD Rally formats. Her mother, Amandeep Kaur (Aman Jubbal), is also a National podium holder in Auto Gymkhana and has multiple podiums in Autocross, TSD Rallies & Rally.

Muskaan’s first national championship was the JK Tyre 4-stroke National Karting Championship in 2019. Additionally, in the same year, the FIA conducted three rounds of Girls on Track in India, where Muskaan emerged as the winner in all three rounds in karting slalom and achieved podium placements in sim racing. “These achievements in the first year greatly boosted my confidence in the sport, and there has been no looking back since then. It's more than just a sport, it's a passion.”

A strict regimen

Muskaan is a regular at the Buddh International Circuit (Tarmac) and the Off-Road Adventure Zone (Dirt & Off Road), where she goes for practice. She trains with motorsports enthusiast Rohit Khanna, whom she describes as an excellent coach who contributed to her wins. “I go to the track thrice or four times a week for practice,” says Muskaan.

[caption id="attachment_34437" align="aligncenter" width="686"] Muskaan Jubbal[/caption]

An intensive regimen, which has Muskaan out on the track several times a week, as well as the frequent travel involved in races and training means she has to compromise on school work from time to time. She admits that juggling academics and professional sport isn’t always easy, but she tries to give them her best shot always. “But it's a bit easier for me as not only my school friends but all my teachers are also extremely supportive and encouraging,” says the youngster.

The youngest on the circuit

Recalling her experiences from various championships, Muskaan says the perception is different when people don't know you and tend to treat her like a kid. “But when you win, it's an entirely different story. Opinions and perceptions do change, and then they have so many questions, which is always fun to answer. When people already know you at the event where you are participating, the expectations are always higher.”

Among her favourite cars is the Porsche 911. “It is unbelievably powerful and beautiful inside and out, and owning one would be a dream come true,” says Muskaan, whose favourite driver is Lando Norris, a Formula 1 driver for Mclaren.

[caption id="attachment_34439" align="aligncenter" width="735"] Muskaan Jubbal[/caption]

In the pipeline

So what are her future plans? “I want to fulfill my dream of becoming one of the best racers for sure. I would certainly love to make racing my full-time profession,” she says.

However, at the same time, Muskaan wants to keep a ‘Plan B’ ready. “It would undoubtedly involve a business or something related to the automotive industry,” she informs.

When she is not behind the wheels on a racing track, Muskaan loves to cook and try out new recipes. “I love listening to music, baking or you would find me at the golf course. I love playing Golf.”

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Decoding finance: How content creator Sharan Hegde is simplifying money matters for all

(February 23, 2024) When he first started making YouTube videos about managing one's finances and investing money, Sharan B Hegde's vision was to impart the knowledge he had gained over the years. Over the years, however, this 28-year-old established his name in the digital space by explaining new, complex terms such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse, the result being that he has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, 300k+ YouTube subscribers, and over 65k followers on LinkedIn. "I never realised that my videos would become so popular, I was working as a management consultant for PWC, and during the pandemic ended up having a lot of time on my hands and that's when I began making the content. I create engaging personal finance content with a blend of comedic flavour and cosplay on Instagram and YouTube. I also write down highly action-oriented posts on LinkedIn and Twitter for those who prefer to read it instead," said the content creator, who recently made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sharan Hegde (@financewithsharan) Not just a content creator, Sharan is also the founder of The 1% Club. "It

to read it instead," said the content creator, who recently made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.

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Not just a content creator, Sharan is also the founder of The 1% Club. "It is an exclusive members-only community to help people achieve financial independence and become the top one percent. I believe that financial independence is a superpower to never be controlled by money, and less than one percent of the people can achieve it in their lifetime. Even Kaun Banega Crorepati winners end up bankrupt. Clearly, there is a massive need for us to learn what our schools never taught us and my platform is the solution to this problem," the Global Indian expressed.

Starting young

Born in Mangaluru to a well-off family, Sharan's interest in personal finance and investment began from when he was just a little boy. "My mother taught me and my sister Shreya about the monthly budget of the family, and the opportunity cost of everything that was bought for the house. Whenever my dad would take me to a toy store, he used to say, ‘You can’t buy anything more than Rs 100'. They made me understand the value of money. Every time I asked for money, they made me think about whether I needed it," the content creator shared. In fact, for birthdays and special events, Sharan received money from his grandparents, but he never used it. By the time he turned 18, the total had grown to an impressive Rs 50,000. "Money has been a very big motivator for me since childhood to be the best version of myself,” he added.

A bright student, Sharan pursued a mechanical engineering degree from Bengaluru, and it was here that it first occurred to him that he should make a career in the finances. Shared the content creator, "I was a part of the academic club at my college, and I could manage the funds better than most of the lot. We actually saved a lot and were able to afford many equipment. Eventually, I was promoted to be the Chief Financial Officer of the club. Interestingly, managing the money and strategising how to invest or spend it wasn't really 'work' for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, I decided to pursue a career in that field." Thus, the content creator started his corporate career at KPMG India as a Management Consultant.

Focussing on finance

During the pandemic, Sharan discovered that even those who didn't lose their jobs were worried about maintaining their finances. And that gave him the thought to start his own channel to impart the knowledge he has acquired over the years. "It’s so important to learn about maintaining finances - and how to invest or spend it - it’s such an essential life skill. But when I researched, I found that the content available online back then was so dull that most people were not going to watch it. Schools are not teaching it, and people are not gonna learn about it even after they start working, and sometimes not even after that," the content creator said.

And thus in December 2020, he started making engaging YouTube videos on his channel, 'Finance with Sharan'. "Initially, I thought that a few hundred might watch it, but the reach and speed of the channel really surprised me. Eventually, I started making witty and enlightening Instagram reels and they took off almost immediately," he shared.

Currently focussed on his organization, Sharan aims to better other people's lives by spreading financial knowledge. "My mission to spread financial literacy and make it fun for others saw growth in leaps and bounds. Over the last three years, I have realised that there is a need to make finance simple and effective, and that is exactly what I am here to do," said the content creator, adding, "There are so many people who are better than you, the world is a tough place and sometimes even if you put all your hard work into it, you might still not come first and that is difficult to accept."

Follow Sharan Hegde on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

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‘App’lying thought: Teen changemaker Karthik Ramu innovates for elder care

(March 19, 2022) If you have a proclivity for tech, one of two things can happen: You can turn that knowledge into a solution; or you, learn and create an ecosystem striving higher. For teen changemaker Karthik Ramu, it was a coupling of both these that helped him solve the hugely ignored elder care problem in the US. Deep in the throes of his freshman year at the University of Virginia, his grandfather in Coimbatore fell ill. The Virginia-based boy and his family were on tenterhooks. Nothing worth something is going to be easy. One day you get someone interested, another day you are rejected - continuing to innovate with focused understanding is important. - Karthik Ramu, teen innovator and global teen leader Witnessing angst and uncertainty, Karthik set out on a path to research on elder care, get data, and he and his classmate Kushi launched AmityConnect. The mobile platform helps families monitor elders’ health by aggregating real-time health data from smart medical devices (smartwatches, etc). Honoured as a global teen leader by We Are Family Foundation (2021),

he and his classmate Kushi launched AmityConnect. The mobile platform helps families monitor elders’ health by aggregating real-time health data from smart medical devices (smartwatches, etc). Honoured as a global teen leader by We Are Family Foundation (2021), he also won the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge award and was chosen among the top 30 changemakers. The enterprising teen changemaker is direct, has a weakness about numbering his pointers, to then tackle each head on.

[caption id="attachment_12886" align="aligncenter" width="355"] Karthik Ramu, co-founder, AmityConnect[/caption]

When an idea was born

The Tamilian born in North Carolina is as close to his Coimbatore-born parents' roots as he is to his Indian-American culture. The single child’s upbringing was also entrenched in tech as his father is an IT consultant, and his mother helps at their firm. AmityConnect was initiated in 2018-19 at his stem-based magnate high school. An entrepreneurship computer science programme piqued his curiosity, and he ideated on a solution with the potential to impact society.

“The biggest problem for our team was our grandparents – they had medical emergencies. I saw my grandfather suffer a heart attack. We felt distant and unaware, and were unable to offer the best care,” says teen changemaker Karthik Ramu in an interview with Global Indian. Putting his thinking cap on, the co-founder realised that the need for elder care was critical. His grandfather recovered, and a quest began to solve this oft-forgotten need – “Did you know that the elderly population is expected to double globally from 900 million to 2 billion in 2050 – it shook me,” adds the 19-year-old.

Caring for the aged

About one in six people in the US are elderly – with chronic conditions. Often, families and caretakers are left in the dark, and unable to give pertinent care. Initially, they created an app that aggregates data from medical devices but soon realised the larger problem – the data was inaccessible to caretakers, family, etc.

AmityConnect was born as a simple yet ground-breaking way to care for the elderly – simplifying data from devices to send updates on health, and using AI to predict trends — the idea was pitched to tech competitions. Seven family members were roped in to test the app, and it emerged that it was perfect for senior-living facilities. Amity, meaning peace and calm, is Karthik’s way of connecting everyone together for elder care – a peace emanating prospect, no doubt.

The app data also helps predict medical emergencies. “The data we are aggregating shows a trend in medical vitals, thus with AI and ML, we are able to predict heart attacks, etc. We tried to create an AI model to help senior living facilities prep for emergencies,” explains the serious-minded teen changemaker.

The team is also streamlining the way senior living facilities work (often outdated). Families get elders’ health updates at their fingertips with a feature that allows senior living staff to convey data. The beta testing during Covid-19’s peak saw them partner with 20-30 Apple Fitbits. Slowly understanding and smoothening glitches, the focus is on funding, development and growing the team. They also won a competition judged and created by Tim Draper, a renowned venture capitalist in the US, winning $16,000 -$17,000 funding. The goal is to triple funding, launch and tap into the 40,000 to 50,000 US-based senior living communities.

[caption id="attachment_13038" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Karthik Ramu, co-founder, AmityConnect with his friends[/caption]

The only way is up

Expanding the team, they brought in WWDC scholars (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference) – Don, from Singapore and Nick from Netherlands. In the pre-launch stage, Karthik is now busy with school and wants to study MBA (economics and computers science). A part of him longs for the traditional setup of families in India, where primary caregivers are family members, but he accepts that the US is different.

Starting up is tough, and he believes he has the resilience and strength of purpose to succeed, “Nothing worth something is going to be easy. One day you get someone interested, another day you are rejected - continuing to innovate with focused understanding is important - How can I impact others? I realise that the only things that stay are your ideas and work,” says the very mature teen changemaker.

His “India” is a bustling cornucopia - active and alive. Those yearly trips are precious. Fluent in Tamil, Karthik adds, “I speak to my grandparents often. When we go to India, we visit the village. I’ve been brought very Indian, and that has helped me in many ways. Acknowledging the other parts of you, and your identity is helpful, and makes one unique.”

Projects, and more projects

Left to his own skillset, his parents are supportive but noninterfering. “Their goal is to guide me in the right direction – whether to pitch at competitions or a willingness to drive me there, they motivate me. At the same time, I am doing these different ventures, helping out with different entrepreneurship projects so they ensure I balance it all,” smiles Karthik, who hopes to graduate and devote time developing AmityConnect, and ultimately be his own boss.

His parents are unaware of his projects, “They joke that I never tell them anything, but they end up being pleasantly surprised and proud,” adds the teen changemaker.

Quiet, contemplative, his close-knit friends’ circle helps him spread those bookish wings further. The 5’10’’ basketball player is thankful to his teachers – “Ms Schmidt, Ms Dorothy, who were a guiding force to help me get the right resources. Cliff Weitzman (founder and CEO, Speechify, an AI-powered text to speech platform), who has a YouTube channel inspired me with his writing. He knows what it is to be a student entrepreneur, and grow a 100-plus team to generate revenue,” says the basketball aficionado.

Another mentor, Drew Bartkiewicz (in the top 100 influential people by Goldman Sachs) from We Are Family Foundation is a mentor. The teen changemaker says, “His immense experience in scaling app-based companies – helped us immensely.”

Covid-19 was Karthik’s, “time to introspect, create his own values and understand where he is, and where he wants to go.” Yes, for a freshman, the teen changemaker philosophises too.

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Tiya Madhavan: A passion for painting to create awareness

(February 22, 2024) Ever since she can recall, Tiya Madhavan has been sketching and painting. Now 18, she has received accolades for her original pieces, exhibited at various local and national galleries, started an art charity initiative, conducted art classes for senior citizens, and hopes to make the world a better place through creating works of art that inspire change. [caption id="attachment_36033" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Tiya at Carnegie Hall for the National Scholastic Art Competition Ceremony, 2022[/caption] The multi-talented Tiya is also an accomplished student, designer, ballet dancer, pianist [she won first place for a solo piano performance for the Illinois Music Association] and used to paint as a child, along with her older sister Sana. She says, "We were very hands-on, creating crafts together and painting. This is the one consistent hobby that has stuck with me." Art for a cause To hone her skills, her parents enrolled her for arts classes, but Tiya didn't attend them for long. She tells Global Indian, "I felt I was being restricted to a medium and a material; I had to paint what the teachers told me to. But I wanted to paint what I chose as subjects; deeper content and themes that

her for arts classes, but Tiya didn't attend them for long. She tells Global Indian, "I felt I was being restricted to a medium and a material; I had to paint what the teachers told me to. But I wanted to paint what I chose as subjects; deeper content and themes that conveyed an emotion. I stopped attending them as I could paint much better at my workstation at home."

As Tiya grew up, her interest in societal imperfections increased. She reveals, "I wanted to bring out social deformities through my art. Social justice, activism, feminism – I was drawn to all these subjects."

Tiya has always been committed to doing more with her art for the larger good. To support health workers through fund raising during the pandemic, Tiya, along with help from her father, set up a website artelligance.org. People could upload pictures they wanted to convert into paintings and Tiya would do the needful. She says, "I got several orders to paint family members, friends, pets … and I raised 1000 USD in profits, which was used to pay for meals for 375 health workers in India.”

However, academic pressure led to the shutting down of the website. However, she has plans of opening a new one where she would sell the prints of her work. “I have gotten several offers for my paintings but I have a strong connection with them so I plan to sell prints, not the originals.”

[caption id="attachment_36041" align="aligncenter" width="583"] The Optimist by Tiya Madhavan[/caption]

Painting for awareness

Speaking of her artworks, Tiya’s paintings are the kind that make you think. A young woman wearing a robe and carrying an umbrella patterned with white clouds, a blue sky and a rainbow; while behind her, the flood streets and buildings are painted in shades of black and grey is a significant one. Titled The Optimist, the piece represents the hope and optimism to look for in the face of darkness and uncertainty. The painting won the 2020 US Congressional Art Competition in the Sixth Congressional District in Illinois and was displayed at the US Congressional Office in Washington DC from July 2020 to July 2021.

Another called The Survivor has the face of a woman emerging from blackish water, trying to stay afloat. A self-portrait of a young Tiya with her sister titled Admiration, and other self-portraits like a piece called Living in Color where a paint brush is adding a strip of colour to her face which is in black and white make a lasting impression.

But the most striking and perhaps the one most representative of the time she painted it is that of an African-American woman, with a mask covering her mouth called The Mask of 2020. The mask is in the shape of two hands, with fingers inter-twined. It represents Covid and the Black Lives Matter movement. Tiya reveals that it was her interpretation of everything that was going wrong in the world at that time. “The Covid-19 pandemic was on; the Black Lives Matter movement was at its peak and I wanted to express my views on it through my art.”

She won the gold medal at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; as well as the American Visions Award, 2022, which is awarded to less than one percent of artists, for The Mask of 2020. The painting was displayed at the Downing Museum in Kentucky and the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa.

[caption id="attachment_36038" align="aligncenter" width="622"] The Mask 2020 by Tiya Madhavan[/caption]

Recalling the ceremony that she attended in New York for the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, she says, "We flew to New York to attend the ceremony at the Carnegie Hall. It was really nice because I got to meet some amazing artists and to see my piece up on the stage was a very nice experience."

Besides winning several awards, her paintings have been displayed at the Barrington White House, the Hinsdale Community House, and a local library in Barrington, a suburb of Chicago where Tiya grew up.

Tiya likes to work with all mediums – colour pencils to acrylic and oils. “Colour pencils help me make realistic details as hyper-realistic as I imagine. I spend time on social media and when I find something that inspires me or a problem that impacts me, it becomes part of my artwork. I want my themes to provoke emotions, because I am passionate about social justice.”

A colourful future

Currently, a freshman student, studying bio-medical engineering at the University of Michigan, Tiya hopes to take up a minor in arts to stay connected with her passion. She is also part of the design team for an art magazine at the University. “I am going to take a few art classes at Uni, start a new website which will be a gallery for people to buy prints of my work. I am hoping my career path allows me to use my art in STEM fields."

[caption id="attachment_36040" align="aligncenter" width="532"] Tiya at an exhibition for the US Congressional Art Competition in the 6th Congressional District IL, 2020[/caption]

Tiya is also a singer and was a member of her high school’s a cappella group and she loves to dance. “I plan to join a Bollywood dance team since I learnt ballet for a long time,” she adds.

From writing a book for children on the basics of drawing and painting when she was ten to having her artworks displayed in Government buildings before she was 18, speaks volumes for Tiya and her passion for art. One hopes to see more of this talented artist in the future.