Meet Reena
@Reena.Paints
“Growing up in a family of creatives, I was always encouraged to explore the arts. I come from a long line of jewelry designers, my grandfather was the first to branch off of the business and start his own photography studio. My mother studied civil engineering in India and architecture when I was young. She would always give me art materials to keep me occupied while she was studying. I think professionally though, it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I began taking oil painting seriously. In college I studied graphic design and digital interactive media arts, oil painting was one of the required courses. That’s where I started learning more about different techniques and oil painting tools. For me, it was crucial to bring representation in an area of art that is highly segregated and rooted in colonization. The majority of what is defined as “fine art” that feature South Asians are painted in a perspective of either an exotic muse or as lower class peasants. Even great works of South Asian painters are still to this day not given the same credit or respect as other artists who comparatively are lower in quality of technique and design. The art world is a very classist industry and I do believe that the only way to keep pushing for proper representation and space is to push those boundaries that have been placed and open up doors for the next generation.”
What inspired you to pursue a career in the creative field?
“My first artistic inspiration has always been my mom. Growing up and watching her passion for design inspired me to create. My role models now are the artists within my community who are pushing boundaries - whether it be in music, film, acting, cooking, dance, digital design, photography, makeup - the list goes on and on. It is so inspiring to see my own community grow and build themselves up.”
Have you encountered unique opportunities or challenges related to your cultural identity in the industry?
“Not everyone has the privilege to create outside of identity without it having preexisting notions attached to it. I think may times people of color are almost pre-boxed into a category of needing their work to be heavy in order for it to be worthy of admiration (especially in the western world). That privilege of creating solely based on feelings outside of one’s roots does not apply to everyone.”
How has your South Asian background influenced your creative work?
“As a South Asian woman who wants to create proper representation and space for the women in my culture, portraying my roots is vital. It is the reason why I paint.”
As a south asian creative; do you feel like societal concepts of success acted as barriers you had to overcome?
“I think success is a relative statement and shouldn't be defined as a single destinations or "result." For me, success has always been being true to myself and being about to express my feelings through my work. I am so grateful for the support I have received while doing so.”
Are there specific themes or elements from South Asian culture that consistently appear in your work?
“I mainly focus on South Asian women empowerment in regards to gender equality, gender based violence and societal expectations/ taboos.”
Can you walk us through your creative process from ideation to execution?
“Sometimes I have an idea and start on a sketch. Other times I’ll see a photo that sparks my interest and use that as a reference. For me, choosing a right composition and color palette that tells a story is crucial.”
The creative industry often involves collaboration. How important is building a network and collaborating with others in your experience?
“Collaborations is key i feel, it's so important to network and build connections in order to gain more opportunities. As an introvert, this is something I struggle with constantly.”
Can you share a specific learning experience that significantly impacted your artistic development?
“The best piece of advice that I got as an artist is that people will know your worth and exactly what it is that you offer as an artist - even if you don’t quite know yourself yet - but will never express those sentiments to you because they either think you already know or they think that you shouldn’t hold the space that you have. When you’re feeling stuck and you feel like you’re not doing enough, realign yourself and know that you are in the right path. It is never going to be constant and it is meant to change and that is okay! :)”
What advice would you give to individuals who are considering entering the creative industry?
“Always keep pushing, don’t let anyone or anything stop you from creating. You and your work deserves space. Also, consistency will always beat perfection.”
How have you seen the creative industry evolve over the years, especially in relation to South Asian representation?
“I absolutely love the growth of South Asian representation in the creative industry. It is so inspiring seeing so many incredibly talented individuals creating space and building tables to help support our community further.”
Where do you see the future of the creative industry, particularly with regard to South Asian representation?
“I think it will continue to grow and evolve. South Asian creatives are constantly pushing the envelope and inspire so many of us. I am so excited to see what the future holds!”
