Mumbai’s warmth inspires me as an artist: Illustrator Sumouli Dutta

Illustrator Sumouli Dutta, the ambassador for Mumbai’s MyCityMyArt campaign, says, “My favourite thing to do as a kid was to draw on the walls of my house. So my parents put me in drawing classes, and I never looked back.”
‘Mumbai’s warmth touches everyone’
Talking about the city, Sumouli adds, “Mumbai shares its warmth with those who live in the city.It is a city that embraces an outsider like its own. Mumbai is as refreshing as a rainbow after rain. When I came across MyCityMyArt, I had to choose Mumbai to depict my favourite city in my way. In 2012, I visited Mumbai for the first time, and instantly fell in love with it. The city’s warmth is what inspires me as an artist. The various elements of Mumbai - from the neverending traffic, the bustling Marine Drive, busy CST, mouthwatering vada pav, crazy Ganpati celebrations, dabbawalas carrying food across the city, crowded local trains to smiling faces, inspire me the most.”

Explaining her artwork, she adds, "The first time I visited Mumbai, I visited Juhu Beach with a sketch book. And I felt so welcomed in the city. I've blended the bustle of the city in the back with the calm of the beach."
‘A campaign that will help artists visualise’
A campaigns like this will help artists visualise. I have participated in many challenges during my initial years just to understand how I can improve. As artists, we often look for topics and ideas and I believe MyCityMyArt is a very relevant campaign that artists should explore.