Spotlight.
Srija Shrestha
INTRODUCTION
Srija Shrestha सृजा (she/her) is a Nepali artist and illustrator based in Scotland. She graduated from Teesside University with an MA Illustration degree in 2022. She practices creative storytelling through zines, comics, Riso prints, cyanotype prints and illustrated short films. Her work engages the themes of mental health and emotional wellbeing combined with the theme of gentle and kind feminine love. She also explores themes of home, belonging and identity to keep herself connected with her Nepali roots. She has been practicing presenting personal stories of exploring home and identity through Nepali language and culture while also connecting them with the stories of finding a home away from home.
INTERVIEW
How did you get into your creative field? What initially inspired you?
I have always loved making art since I was little. I used to watch a lot of cartoons. I was fascinated with the stories, characters and music in different cartoons. I am particularly thankful for Tove Jansson’s ‘Moomins’. The Moomins had beautiful messages of embracing creativity, being imaginative, following our instincts, being adventurous and believing in ourselves. It has definitely inspired me to fall in love with art during my early childhood.
However, I stopped creating once I started college. I was studying business which I did not really enjoy. I guess,at that time, I couldn’t explore different ways I could incorporate art in the course to make it enjoyable for me. After graduating college, I took some time off and rekindled my connection with art. I took the decision to pursue art for good because art made me happy.
What themes do you tend to interrogate in your work?
My work primarily engages themes of mental health and emotional wellbeing. Through my illustrations, I try to present various personal and community stories of mental health challenges especially among international students and migrants who have experienced a transition of navigating a new life in a new country. This has also led me into further exploring themes of home, belonging and identity which helps me keep connected to my Nepali roots.
What is your favourite project you’ve ever worked on and why?
A project that I have really enjoyed working on was my collaboration with UNICEF South Asia in 2022. I created illustrations, visual assets and a short illustrated video for the ‘On my mind’ project. The campaign focused on creating awareness and also resources about positive mental health for young people in South Asian communities. We explored themes like asking for help, connecting with our support systems, acknowledging our feelings and being kind to ourselves. It was a meaningful project to me as the themes resonated with my practice closely and I was able to work on my creative voice deeply with the access of lots of mental health resources, data and statistics to help develop this project.
Discover more below:
Save this video for a gloomy day
Simple ways to lift yourself when you're feeling low
What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into illustration?
My advice for creatives of colour looking into getting into illustration is to keep believing in your creative voice because your stories, experiences and your creations are powerful and unique. Sometimes, it might seem like everyone else has their life figured out in terms of work and career but please remember that you are so strong and brave to be here at the moment and to be doing the work you are doing right now. As a creative person, we are choosing a non conventional path to life which is definitely challenging but it is meaningful. So please be kind to your heart and keep going.
What are you currently working on and what are your plans for 2024?
I am currently working on an art and research project with two Nepali artists. Our project was selected by The British Council for Gender Grants which has helped fund this project and we are very grateful for this opportunity. The project will explore narratives of post pregnancy mental and emotional challenges experienced by diverse Nepali women. The stories will be documented creatively through illustrations, comics and finally presented into a booklet which we intend to share in our health communities.
I am also working on a short comic for the upcoming issue of Virangana Comics Anthology by Virangana Collective. They are a women's comics collective in Nepal dedicated to establishing a publishing platform for comics artists in the country.
Virangana (@viranganacollective) • Instagram photos and videos
I have been selected as one of the featured artists at Chorus Arts London for 2023/2024. They are an art collective working with UK based creatives to grow community through public art interventions, experiential events and exhibitions. This year, I am very excited to be working with my fellow artists to develop our creative practice together and hopefully develop a new project.
Chorus Arts (@chorus_arts) • Instagram photos and videos
I am also looking forward to exploring themes of gentle sexual exploration and expression, femininity and feminine love and learn more about gentle living which is equally a powerful way to live a meaningful life.