Keerthi Pratyusha Nelluri of Vizag is gaining popularity in the field of arts. Teja Kovvali interacts with this self-taught artist, who recently clocked the 10,000 followers mark on Instagram.
The beginning
Soon after her graduation, Keerthi who is an avid reader, worked as an Assistant Editor at a publication house in Vizag. Her work called her to get creative with illustrations and other artworks. “This was the first time after school that I had the opportunity to work closely with art, and I loved it,” she recollects.
The journey
As days progressed, she found an all-new love for art and began exploring further avenues. In fact, she was so grappled by art that she decided to quit her job to channelise all her time and energy towards working on what she loved the most.
With the help of YouTube tutorials, social media and art exhibitions as her platforms, the 24-year-old had embarked her experimental trials with different forms and shared them with friends and followers. Eventually, Keerthi began receiving compliments from different quarters and her work slowly reached a large spectrum of people.
Making a name
Bolstered by the boisterous response, she ventured into sketching the portraits of popular celebrities, including the likes of ‘Viva’ Harsha and Vijay Devarakonda. The stunning portrayals which reflected her proficiency were shared by the stars on their social media accounts. “Within a few moments after they shared the artworks, my followers on Instagram grew exponentially!” she shares excitedly.
Much like anyone who challenges mainstream professions, Keerthi too had to stand against societal stereotypes. “While I enjoyed support from my friends and family members, it took a while for me to get to terms with society’s expectations. I wanted to dispel the misconception that art doesn’t reap benefits in India,” she says.
Keerthi remained focused on learning more and equipped herself with more capabilities. Charcoal drawing, surrealism, photorealism, conceptual arts, hyperrealism, and double exposure are some of the art forms which she has tried her hand at so far.
Apart from the accolades she won in the past, the artist was once again in the buzz for her phenomenal portraits of Renu Desai and Anupama Parameswaran, both of whom shared her art on their social networks. “I finished these works by investing 14 hours straight for each. Ever since these celebs have shared my work, I have been getting an increasing number of orders from all over. The fact that I have sold about 106 portraits in a span of 2 years and received orders worth Rs 1,75,000 within the past week, speaks volumes about the potential art holds in India,” she says.
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