Meet Kajal Zaveri | Full Time Artist and Mom, and Part time Art Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kajal Zaveri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kajal, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
The simple and short answer to that is just because it makes me happy. I have not always been a full time artist but switched to being one since the last few years. I grew up in India and I was always surrounded by vibrant colors, different types of art like folk, traditional and modern art, various traditions, and customs that encompass colors, patterns, and celebrations. I never went to formal art school but joining a local hobby art class and inspiration all around me was enough to ignite my love for painting. Though I pursued academics, I continued honing my art skills by practicing and creating whenever I could. I continued to experience the joy and wonder of painting in its full manifestation. Then after my graduation, I moved to California from India, with my husband, for my MBA. With my new degree, I started working in the financial sector and even though I was pretty good at my work, I soon realized that I was not really enjoying it. I was, however mesmerized by the expanse and beauty of California, which I had started to discover through my travels within the state. The boundless horizons or the wide uninterrupted landscapes, the magnificence of the deep, blue, ocean water, the beauty of the changing seasons, towns dotted along the unending coastlines and ocean fronts dotted with bright wildflowers, and many such wonderful, became my inspiration point and got me panting again. I felt a great sense of joy and excitement again. After my son was born, I quit my day job and focused all my energies on my first love – painting and pursuing art as a full-time career; feeling so fulfilled, and getting paid to do what I love the most.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My painting style is a mix of abstract and semi abstract portrayals of nature in rich, lush colors. My work is free flowing, and expressive and falls in the realm of Abstract Realism. I let my observations, encounters and memories of places and experiences, act as a point of departure for abstracting for a more representational and modern composition. Since the viewer doesn’t know of her particular point of inspiration, it is my hope that when they view my work, it ignites their own fond memories of special places and times and entice nostalgia and dreaminess and a sense of commonness and shared experiences. I am so blessed to have my work well received and sold on Williams Sonoma home, One Kings Lane, featured on Times Square Billboards and featured in magazines like Elle Décor and Popsugar.com. I have been able to exhibit and sell at major Art Fairs like Art Market San Francisco and Spectrum, Miami and Red Dot, Miami. However, it has been a lot of work to get visibility and opportunities. There have also been some challenges since being your own boss, and setting your own hours takes discipline and that that can sometimes be hard. Sometimes it is hard to find rhythm and a work flow. When I hit a block, I take a break and recharge by looking for inspiration in nature and travel magazines and my pictures from my various travels.
At the start of the pandemic, I volunteered to teach art and painting to more than a hundred cool, special kids, virtually, for more than a year. I also did various guest artist sessions for various NGOs, and helped with Covid relief efforts through auctioning my art. These weekly and frequent interactions reiterated for me, the immense strength and power of art and how joyful and therapeutic it can be and how satisfying it is when shared with everyone. In the process, I also learnt a lot about myself, and this has boosted my confidence both as an artist and a collaborator. This entire experience has strengthened my vision to keep creating my art with even more gratitude, and joy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting me for a week, I would make sure to show her around all the touristy spots and some hidden gems in San Francisco and around. Day one would be spent exploring some cool neighborhoods in the city, riding the cable car, and walking down Lombard Street, Pier 39, and a fun mini adventure on the Rocket Boat for a fast speed boat ride out onto SF Bay, under the Bay Bridge. Ice cream at Ghirardelli Square, and dinner at Stinking Rose in North Beach should be a hit with anyone coming from out of town. The next day could be more relaxing and easy walking around the city, lunch at the famous plant based Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason, relaxing in Crissy fields, checking out the wave organ and take some pictures and selfies at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts. The itinerary for the next day would be fun bike ride or walk on the on Golden Gate Bridge and then a spectacular hike on Lands’ End which offers amazing ocean views, history and urban exploring leading to the Labyrinth and the Mile Rock Beach. An evening show at the famous Cobbs Comedy club would be a perfect way to end the day. Some other fun things to do in the remaining days would be a definite drive on Highway 1 going to Monterey and Carmel for sweeping, spectacular ocean views. Another day, and a perfect excuse to head out to Napa Valley for lunch and wine tasting to sip on some of the finest reds, whites, and rosés in the world. The last day would be perfect to indulge in art appreciation, spending time at SFMOMA, which has one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the entire world and hang out at the Golden Gate Park, afterwards. I believe this would be a good, small sampling of what San Francisco has to offer and allow us to have fun and create new memories.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My art comes from a positive and happy place, and is an amalgamation of my memories and experiences, both past and current. It starts with a strong foundation laid down with a happy childhood growing up in a close-knit family. My dad gave me wings to fly and taught me to dream big, my mom taught me to work hard and always believed in me, and my brothers, always proud of me. I also am blessed to have a very supportive husband who helps with photographing and packing my artwork, amongst other things and being my biggest cheerleader. My son is one big reason that made the switch to pursue painting full time much easier and allowed me to be a full-time mom to him. I have also learnt so much along the way from various teachers, fellow artists, and many wonderful people and am so grateful for all and every interaction that had helped me pursue and get better at my craft each day.

Website: www.kajalzaveri.art

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artist.kajalzaveri/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kajal-zaveri/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaveri_k

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KajalZaveriArt/