Her first show in Mumbai, opened to rave reviews. Now she is set to debut in the city, where she spent her childhood and initial years planning her art career. Iccha Bhojani, artist and independent designer will open her show, Ever After in Bengaluru this weekend.

Inspired by the Bahai faith, Iccha’s work showcases the philosophy of life. “My work talks about the service aspect of a human being’s life. The gap between the eternal and material world is something that is always bridged by the soul. The progress of our soul is directly affected by our service to the world and people. I have tried to express this through my work,” says the artist. Looking beyond the regular, her works are a culmination of different processes. “I photograph and then I make a collage and sketch on it,” says the artist. Starting at `20,000, her show will exhibit 35 works.

Talking about her love for art, Ichha admits that it was here in Bengaluru that she found her love for art. “It was at Mallya Aditi School that my career began. My art teacher Ms Surekha would always encourage me. I was not the bright one but was the naughty rebel in class,” she reminisces adding, “This city is the best that could’ve happened to me in my childhood. The morals and values I have been imbibed with could have never been found in other cities.”

While she loves to paint, Ichha confesses that her best job was with Sathya Paul a few years ago. “I was in charge of doing up the windows —basically it was a visual merchandising job. I had so much fun coming up with a summer window or the monsoon concept and working on displaying the sarees. The window was my canvas. I worked for their Delhi and Mumbai stores,” says the artist. With a strong belief in divine powers, Ichha lives her life to the fullest, she loves to watch movies and read books. “I particularly like the Daughters of Arabia series. I like the way the life of princesses is captured through these stories,” she says.

For the past one year, Ichha has been focusing on her show. But with the current art scene, she says the market is tough for newcomers. “Galleries are not waiting to jump at my work. It is contemporary and is in mixed media. My plan ahead is to approach galleries and show my work. It is going to be tough but I have faith,” says Ichha. Her next plan is to work on a series of works based on the theme of equality of men and women. “It is something that I have been pondering over and would definitely work on it,” she concludes.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Potpouri / by Ayesha Tabassum / DC, June 11th, 2012