Creating a Voice for the Unheard Through Art

As Deeksha Chauhan, a 29-year-old self-taught wildlife artist, aptly puts it, “A thought is what matters.” Her powerful realisation has led her on a path where art becomes a voice for the unheard, compelling people to see, feel, and empathise. Through her stunning wildlife art, she hopes to challenge the way humans interact with wildlife, making conservation a conversation that can no longer be ignored.

The Journey of a Self-Taught Artist

Deeksha’s journey with art began early, nurtured by her mother, who introduced her to various creative forms. “My mother taught me musical instruments like the tabla and harmonium when I was a kid,” she recalls. While she enjoyed dance and music, painting always drew her in the most. Even in school, where lectures demanded focus, her mind often wandered to sketches that often took shape on the last pages of her notebooks.

• Throughout her school and college life, Deeksha often used to doodle and scribble something on the back of her notebook, especially in math classes.
• Despite her passion for art, her parents had a different vision for her future – an engineering degree at Vidya College, Meerut, and Deeksha pursued it.
• However, art never left her side, and she continued to engage in it to pass time.

A Career in the Corporate World

Deeksha completed her degree in 2016 and entered the corporate world, trying various roles in HR, sales, and business analysis. However, none of them held her interest for long. “Whatever job I took up, I couldn’t stay there for more than three weeks,” she says. The rigid structures of corporate life crushed her creativity, making it clear that she was searching for something deeper. Deeksha’s curiosity led her towards research, preparing for exams in chemistry and neuroscience. She even pursued a Python course, hoping to find fulfillment in machine learning. But time and again, she felt like she was going through the motions, rather than truly engaging with what fascinated her.

**Traditional Career Expectations**	**Art as a Steady Presence**
Pressure to conform to traditional career expectations weighed on her, but no matter where she turned, art remained a steady presence – something she returned to instinctively, the one activity that never felt forced.	Through the different phases of life, art was her true companion, and she wanted to learn the process, but it was more exam-oriented.

Breaking Free from Constraints

Following the passion that never left her, Deeksha took matters into her own hands. “In August 2019, I decided to become the teacher I was searching for and started to learn art through self-study,” she recalls. She followed international artists and paid close attention to paintings on the Internet. “Over time, I taught myself realism and hyperrealism through experimentation,” she shares proudly. It was Nick Sider, a New York-based artist, who inspired Deeksha to explore realistic and hyper-realistic art. “I was intrigued and fascinated by the impact those paintings had on me. It was similar to the feeling that wildlife and animals gave,” she adds.

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Deeksha’s choice to become a wildlife artist stemmed from a personal loss. “I lost my pet dog – he breathed his last in my arms. Watching videos of animal abuse made me furious and equally helpless,” she shares. She realised that instead of complaining about what others weren’t doing, she needed to work towards animal welfare through her art. “I decided to work hard, improve my skills, and become a wildlife artist. The money I earned by selling my artwork helped me fund animal welfare organisations,” she says.

“Losing my dog made me a wildlife artist. I was helpless that I could not do anything. The questions of ‘What am I doing to stop this?’ and ‘Why do they have to go through such painful and gruesome situations?’ haunted me. But I realised that instead of complaining about what others weren’t doing, I needed to work towards animal welfare through my art.”

Creating Wildlife Art

Wildlife art is considered a new concept in India, and Deeksha considers herself fortunate to have been getting orders through social media over the past four years. Starting with her first painting of a black and white tiger, Deeksha has two favourites to date. “One is a five-by-three feet hyper-realistic painting of a tiger. The painting took around three months; I am still looking for the right buyer who would give the respect the painting deserves,” she shares.

• Possibly, her paintings may look like photographs, but they are purely hand-painted.
• Many people comment that her paintings look like they were AI-generated, but she laughs, saying, ‘My paintings may sometimes look like they were AI-generated, but they are purely hand-painted.’
• Nishith Kumar, a pulmonologist from Ranchi and one of Deeksha’s clients, shares, ‘She was able to replicate the exact reference images I had sent, and she constantly updated me on her progress. Most of the individuals who walk into my chamber look at the painting and ask, ‘Who clicked this picture?’ – it looks incredibly realistic.’

Turning Paint into Purpose

Being a full-time artist comes with uncertainties, and Deeksha has made lifestyle changes to sustain herself without depending on anyone. “Whatever I earn, very little goes into my personal expenses, which are primarily art supplies,” she shares. The rest is spent on supporting animals and birds whenever she gets the chance. “I like to travel solo, and even while doing so, I opt to stay with the locals instead of luxury stays. In return, I do something for them by teaching their children about insects, wildlife, and the importance of not harming any species,” she explains.

Providing the Wildlife Experience to Everyone

For Deeksha, every painting is a labour of love, shaped with patience and precision. “The paintings that I make for myself take one to four months depending on the intricacies involved. For commissioned orders, I try to provide them according to the discussed timeline,” she says. Over the past four years, Deeksha has sold 50 paintings, reaching buyers across the globe, including the US, Canada, and Europe. “Most of my orders are from abroad as India is still a growing market for wildlife art,” she says.

**Deeksha’s Artistic Journey**	**Artistic Achievements**
A self-taught wildlife artist with four years of experience.	Sold 50 paintings, reaching buyers across the globe, including the US, Canada, and Europe.

Aiming to Fine-Tune Her Skills

Deeksha’s main focus lies in giving back to animals through art. “Right now, with the money earned from art, I donate to people who are involved in animal conservation on a small scale to support their initiatives,” she shares. She aims to fine-tune her skills every day to serve the bigger purpose: animal welfare. “On average, I make around two to three paintings per month,” she says. Her commissioned works have included mythological characters, but her passion lies in hyper-realistic depictions of wildlife. “I want people to get a surrealist experience of these animals through my art. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to the jungle or a safari. So when people look at my paintings, I want them to feel that experience in their own space,” she says.