Inspired by the #100Days projects all over Instagram, Shikha Nambiar decided to pay tribute to her home for the last five years by starting a series on Bengaluru that has gone viral on social media! From green and yellow auto rickshaws, to breakfast at Koshys and walks in Cubbon Park, this artist has illustrated every part of our city, which reminds people that there are still things to love in the city.
We talk to the young illustrator about recreating the city, love for art, and more!
The 30-year-old moved into Ooru around five years ago to pursue her interest in the arts. “Despite living here for five years, I realised that I hadn’t been the the most iconic spots and still felt like a tourist. That’s when I began working on the 100 days project, in hope that I’d get to explore different places and get out know the city better,” reveals the freelance illustrator who began the series in April, and had no idea it would go viral on social media.
Being caught up in work was another reason she began this series. “Every place I used to visit, I used to illustrate in my scrapbook. But I hadn’t made a single illustration about Bengaluru in five years, which had me worried,” she adds.
The youngster who moved from Pune, had pursued law before she made the big decision to quit and follow her heart. “I always had a creative streak. Even as a child, I would spend my days painting and drawing. So when I told my parents, I wanted to quit and become an artist, they were not surprised at all and were quite supportive of my decision,” she reveals.
The travel junkie admits that to create some of the iconic spots that even she wasn’t aware about, she took the help of some of her local friends. “They would keep nagging me about not having visited certain places of importance like the Vidhana Soudha, Lal Bhagh, a few iconic spots in Jayanagar and Baswanagudi and more. So in the process of art, my friends and I rediscovered the city, and fell in love with it all over again in the process. And with my art, I hope others feel the same way about the city too. It’s not just a pub city filled with traffic — it’s so much more,” sighs Shikha who loves to travel, when she isn't putting her imagination onto paper at her desk.
