Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fine arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ishita Banerjee, creator of Soul Curry Art, located in Montreal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm the creator of Soul Curry Art, a fine art studio in Montreal, Canada. I create one-of-a-kind Cubist original paintings, & fine art prints for art collectors worldwide. My art audience is anyone who resonates with my art, from individuals, institutional collectors, private collections, and art enthusiasts all over the world. I also work with designers, architects, interior design companies, and retail professionals to make my art an integral part of homes, offices, and large spaces.
Tell us about yourself
I am a fine artist by training, with a BFA & an MFA in Fine Art. It has been my calling, my voice, and my medium of expression in vivid color. I started my brand Soul Curry Art when I made Canada my home. It was an attempt to bring my life experiences as a lifelong artist, my roots in India, and my deep love for Cubist Modernism to a worldwide audience.
I started my art shop on Etsy as Soul Curry, and slowly my art prints and original paintings started getting a larger audience. I started with affordable, open-edition, fine art prints, and slowly, over the course of the past seven years, my art has found a global audience with its timeless, classical, yet modern style.
Art motivates me, and looking for beauty in everyday life motivates me. I look for inspiration in our common threads as humans. Emotions, expressions, and feelings of love, longing, and loss inspire my pieces. I look at the narratives of our humanity flowing in continuous harmony in the pieces I make. The fact that my art makes people feel these emotions keeps me inspired and continually growing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Reaching a global audience & finding that my art speaks a universal language is my biggest accomplishment. My work resides in the collection of people like you and me and also in large spaces like restaurants, outdoor spaces, wearable art, and in corporate spaces. My art is recognized. I have licensing agreements with large companies, and my art has been part of exhibitions worldwide. Seeing my art up on Times Square billboards in 2022 at NFT NYC was a huge moment.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Staying relevant. Staying engaged while creating is challenging sometimes. In a rapidly changing world, where attention spans are short, garnering an audience and keeping them interested is not easy. Being a creative business also means that I'm available 24/7. Answering questions, offering suggestions, studio visits, participating in exhibitions, and also educating people about art and healing, about the mindful practices of art.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If there's a fire in your heart or an idea in your mind, just start. Don't wait for the right time. There is no right time. You create your dream business s you go along.
- Listen, and learn, but also fail fast and fail often. Failure is going to be part of the process. I can't think of anyone or any business that has not failed. Learning from failure and turning disadvantages into opportunities will define your success as a business.
- Set realistic expectations. Very few people become overnight successes. Success & growth takes consistency. Show up for yourself and your business. Have clear goals. Get help in areas that you may need and take it one step at a time. Consistency and intention is the key to growing a business, no matter what kind of business it may be.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://soulcurryart.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etsysoulcurry
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcurryart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soulcurryart
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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