“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up” – Pablo Picasso
Preeti Dhanuka is one of the few to have successfully made a career out of painting by nurturing childhood dreams. She uses her artistic skills to enhance the look of sarees and other apparel as well as design and paint wall hangings. Her vibrant works have earned her accolades across the state.
It’s not only sarees, Preeti’s brushstrokes have given a new look to a varied range of garments. “Everyone aspires to be an artiste at some point in life, be it a painter, writer, musician or dancer. However, life is not always kind. Some lose determination, while others change focus and those dreams start fading. But I always wanted to turn my passion into my profession,” she says.
The young painter-designer says that she is “somewhat successful” today because neither did she lose focus nor did she feel demoralised at any point in life. Her designs have become quite a hit, especially among youngsters in the state, and have often been sported by models on the ramp. In fact, Deepika Samal from Angul, who was recently crowned winner at a beauty pageant, too wore one of the Preeti’s creations.
Born to Omprakash and Padma Dhanuka, Preeti was attracted towards painting even as a child. “I think I am a born painter. I come from a family of businessmen but I was always keen on pursuing painting. My parents realised this and enrolled me in a painting institute when I was a kid. There I learnt the basics of art and participated in a number of competitions, winning many,” she says.
Though Preeti was happy pursuing her dreams, the pressure of performing well in academics forced her to shift focus. But as she grew up, she realised that painting was her true love. She decided to choose fine arts over commerce and enrolled for a distance learning course at Prachin Kalakendra under Chandigarh University. “I then came to Bhubaneswar and started learning painting at BK College of Arts. I wanted to be independent. So, during those days, I worked at the Odisha Modern Art Gallery,” she says.
There Preeti came across a number of prominent painters. Frequent interactions with them gave her morale a boost. She came up with the idea of designing garments. “My father runs a garments business. So, I thought of showcasing my painting skills on those garments. Seeing the demand for these garments, I started painting on sarees and other apparel,” she explains.
Preeti specialises in designing sarees and ethnic wear. She says that a hand-painted saree can add a new dimension to one’s personality, much like a handloom saree.
One of Preeti’s most popular collections is the Patachitra hand-painted sarees. “These sarees have an aesthetic value and have never failed to impress saree lovers. Those who love traditional wear say my creations are classy, vibrant and bold,” she says.
The young designer’s strength lies in the innovations she tries in her designs. Instead of painting the entire Patachitra image, Preeti draws either the flute or the lips of goddesses or feathers of a peacock or simply the eyes. Her unique style has made her sarees and other apparel popular.
Preeti is happy about her success, but she also wants to help others who have not been as fortunate. “There are many artistes in the state but not everyone is successful in earning a decent living. I wish to help at least some of them so that they can make use of their talent to earn a decent livelihood and be self-dependent like me,” she says.
SOYONG, OP