Manasa's art captures the quiet beauty of everyday life.
1. Tell us a little about yourself—who you are, what you do, and how art became a part of your journey.
Hi, I’m Manasa and I’m an illustrator and comic artist, based in Goa. Rooted in the stories of my grandparents and my village in the Eastern Ghats, my work explores the social structures and hierarchies, in very simple narratives of everyday life, through a humorous lens. I works primarily with traditional mediums in watercolours and coloured pencils.
2. Art isn’t just something we see—it’s something we live with. How does art seep into your daily life? And what does art mean to you?
All art is storytelling. Therefore, that makes every human an artist and we all live through those stories. Every object I touch, every I see, every I hear has some kind of story. The moment art ceases to tell a story, it’s merely for aesthetic value and nothing more, just hollow.
3. Why do you think handcrafted art matters today more than ever?
As I said before, art being storytelling, every handcrafted product has layers of stories to it. Who made it first, why did they make it, why am I making it now, the stories of people who are making the same handicraft half way across the world and through that process, we understand the life around us. It matters more today, because, the onset of AI and robots is taking away that process and through that, out ability to experience and understand life.
4. How many years have you been practicing this craft?
I’ve been painting since 2019 but starting working professionally since 2023.
5. What makes an artist an artist? (like who can call themselves an artist/what counts as being an artist)
That’s an extremely philosophical question.
6. What does being an artist/brand that sells art mean to you?
It means I’m doing something that being joy to my heart and I’m able to pay rent with it.
7. How long does it usually take to create one piece from start to finish?
Well, it all starts with an illustration which usually takes somewhere around 3 - 4 days to finish, from ideating, creating a rough sketch, tracing the rough sketch unto watercolour paper, inking it and then painting it. Then the illustration is printed on the cover and is bound together with sugarcane pulp papers to make a notebook. The notebooks are trimmed and corners cut, ready to go.
8. What drew you to the medium(s) you work with?
All of my art is about my grandparents and their stories,depicting a slower way of life, a life without much digital foorprint so naturally I got drawn to traditional mediums: watercolour, ink and colour pencils, which take more time and patience so also like life, watercolours are a very unforgiving medium, because every layer of paint changes the final outcome of the painting!
9. How do you see art products being perceived in an Indian market?
People in India are increasingly drawn to “artful” products — illustrated notebooks, prints, postcards, ceramics, zines — but often more for aesthetic appeal than for the story or craft behind them. Art products are still seen as decorative rather than narrative or cultural. The emotional and process-based value hasn’t fully translated into market value yet, especially beyond urban circles like Bangalore, Mumbai, or Goa. The India I wish to see is the one which is filled with folklore, legends and myths.
10. Your illustrations often draw from everyday moments which feel so heartwarming because of their simplicity. But at the same time, capturing that raw emotion on paper can be quite complex. How do you translate those fleeting feelings into your art without losing their essence?
I draw what I feel!
11. You’ve spoken about how small objects can define an entire state of being. Can you share an example of an object from your own life that has carried such meaning?
I made a zine recently called Pappu Gutti. That’s the perfect example.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DL8yIMdvLDN/?img_index=1
12. Nature often finds its way into your bookmarks and illustrations. What role does the natural world play in shaping your imagination?
Every role! Everything is connected to nature!
13. If someone picks up one of your illustrated bookmarks or books without knowing you, what is the one feeling or thought you hope they carry with them?
I hope they feel like ‘they are taking a nap under the mango tree on a warm lazy summer afternoon’
14. Is there a song that captures the spirit of your work or something you love listening to while creating?
Oh, all 1950s songs!
Obsessed already? Same. Shop Manasai's Art and bring a piece of their world home on Kala Curry.