Ipshita is an award-winning Indian fine artist from Glasgow. She is passionate about making work that explore social issues, influenced by her culture and heritage and filled with symbolism and colours. Ipshita’s objective is to create something unconventional, generating curiosity, dialogue, and conversation. Within the space of the frame, she endeavours to narrate a subject that is linked with our moral psyche and society. Ipshita was a finalist for the John Hurt Art Prize and long listed for the Visual Art Open Awards, London. She gained international recognition as a finalist for Prisma Art Prize, Italy, and was awarded the Certificate of Achievement by the Pinacothèque Luxembourg Art Museum. She was the recipient of Renfrewshire Council’s One Ren Health and Wellbeing Award at The Big Art Show, Paisley, and her work was exhibited at Summerhall Arts as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

See Ipshita’s work as part of our annual spring exhibition Offerings exploring the ways hope and creativity take root in hostile environments. Inspired by queer histories of creating against all odds, and by the ways communities nurture possibility and make offerings for the future, Offerings showcases works that bring warmth, colour, and a sense of renewal, that soften the spaces they inhabit, or that suggest endurance or growth: no matter how harsh the winter, the flowers will bloom again.

Hi Ipshita! Tell us how your artistic journey started?
I began drawing from the tender age of four. My parents, sometimes, like to recall those joyous moments of some peace and solitude they enjoyed, whilst I played with colours. To me art has always been a medium of self-expression, an outlet from all the pressures and follies in my social world. However, speaking with complete honesty, whilst growing up, my art was simply an imitation of others’ works of life, and therefore it lacked purpose to me. As a result, for many years to come, I endured a constant battle with my innermost being to unearth my very own expression of creativity, and dare I say, it was not easy. In my early twenties, with the opportunity to move to the UK and expand my academic career in social sciences, I simply couldn’t find the time to draw. Under this mounting academic stress, my zeal for art lay dormant for a very long time and finally erupted with an objective to voice my own thoughts. I realised that all my academic work was just another page in a book, easily read, accompanied with a few discussions and then soon forgotten. I recognised that although words can have a profound effect (exemplifying the most historical statement, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ by Edward Bulwer-Lytton); to me nothing compares to the ripple of change and the flow of dialogue that can be created through art (or as Edward Hopper puts it – ‘if I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.’). And this realisation began my artistic journey.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
To understand the themes of all my artwork, not just the two works present at Offerings, you have to understand my background and where I come from. As an Indian, I was taught from a young age to accept and follow social rules for what they are and never to question them. I clearly remember my mother saying, ‘women have their role in society, and we must do what is expected of us’. Strangely enough, even in my prepubescent brain, I simply could not accept my mother’s statement. Growing up through every stage of my life, I questioned the conventional rules of society: ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘why not’, and I fully admit, this critical thinking of mine did not sit well with the elders in my family who warned me of my scepticism. My incessant questioning used to drive my mother berserk, to such a point that she would yell out, ‘Enough with the why’s! that’s how things are and you must follow them!’. Even as a child, the fear of facing a direful repercussion for questioning the preordained social norms, did not diminish my disagreements of blindly following antiquated social values. In fact, my education and academic work of Sociology and Anthropology has helped me observe my social environment better and carefully study the patterns of human behaviour, along with their thought processes. This inquisition of continuous learning, coupled together with my own life experiences, which I have gained so far, has helped me shape my present artworks.

Can you walk us through your creative process?
With all the social and cultural experiences I have gained so far and am still acquiring, I can now freely express myself through my art. My aim is to create visually appealing pieces dominated by bold yet varied colours, patterns and designs that portray my Indian heritage, whilst providing a powerful social message. As an artist, my objective is to create something unconventional that generates new curiosity, dialogue and conversation for viewers across all ages. And if I may be so bold to say, I am conscious that my work does not strictly fit into the framework of Western and/or contemporary fine art and this is what potentially distinguishes me from other artists, for my artworks are a continuous search for the best way to interpret the knowledge I have of the modern society we live in.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
We are living in an age of social media where there is a greater need for constant social acceptance and validation. There is always a level of urgency for artists, especially on social platforms, to produce as many artworks as possible simply to remain relevant. With all honesty, I used to be no different. As an underrepresented Indian fine artist I felt extremely fragile since I wanted to make my mark with my artworks, and as mentioned previously, my artworks are conventionally quite different from western and/or contemporary fine art, therefore, it became a matter of seriousness for me to produce as numerous art pieces as possible. But this unhealthy need to constantly produce art, for the sake of some mere recognition, started to drain me physically, emotionally and mentally. In a way, you could say I was morally fatigued. I hit a huge creative block, and for months I stopped drawing, during which I simply unwound myself with activities that brought me joy, comfort and a realisation that it is okay to take a break. Quality is of far greater importance than quantity, because art is something that needs to come from within – it cannot be rushed and it definitely cannot be forced! One needs to feel it to create it. So… take a break and begin when you are ready.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
As a fine artist, I personally find it extremely difficult to pick favourites, for I like all artists! However, if I do have to pick: I admire Frida Kahlo for her raw, symbolic self-portraits, as she never shied away from expressing her emotional, physical and personal trauma. Amrita Sher-Gil, a Hungarian-Indian painter, who often depicted the everyday lives of ordinary Indian women. And finally, Jamini Roy from my home state West Bengal, India, who is known for his Bengali Folk Art and (almost extinct form of) Kalighata Folk Art. The uniqueness of each of these artists is evident – despite having different cultural backgrounds and education, they hold common ground in that they are all bold in their approach. They drew inspiration from their personal experiences and what they observed around them, and I am no different. Yes, I read various literature and listen to music that moves me but they all create an essence and form an integral part of my artworks. The crux of the matter is that there is no single subject, object, or being that inspires me. Our knowledge and society are ever changing because there is inspiration everywhere – there is a story all around us! All we have to do is keep our eyes, heart and mind open.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
As a former social researcher, I cannot refrain myself from creating socially poignant artworks that I see and feel. This has become my natural response to every art piece I create. It produces some sort of ‘tickle in the brain’ for me that I live to repeat, and I hope to generate the same reaction for my viewers. Each of my artworks narrates an intricate story and therefore, are meant to be analysed, because symbolism is abundant in them. As such, the work I create calls for the participation of the audience to the same extent as my involvement in it.

OFFERINGS runs at Six Foot Gallery until 21st April 2026. Connect with Ipshita on Instagram.